Desert Castles
Jordan’s desert castles are beautiful examples of both early Islamic art and architecture. Their fine mosaics, frescoes, stone and stucco carvings and illustrations, inspired by the best in Persian and Graeco-Roman traditions, tell countless stories of life as it was during the 8th century. Quseir Amra, one of the best preserved monuments, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its interior walls and ceilings are covered with unique frescoes, and two of the rooms are paved with colourful mosaics. The black basalt fort at Azraq was the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt and is still in use since Late Roman times. Other castles of interest include Qasr Al-Hallabat, Qasr Al-Tuba and Qasr Al-Kharraneh.
