Qasr Amra

Qasr Amra

Qusayr Amra, a small desert castle that was part of a large Umayyad complex that included a bathhouse, hunting lodge and roadside inn, is nestled in Jordan's spectacular eastern desert. It is so well preserved that today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the region's best places to visit. The structure is actually what remains of a larger complex, which included a real castle designed as a royal retreat with no military purpose, of which just the foundation exists. All that remains today is a little country cabin. The most remarkable thing about it is the frescoes that have been preserved, mainly on the ceilings inside, depicting, among other things, a group of rulers, hunting scenes, dancing scenes with naked women, craftsmen at work, the newly discovered "cycle of Jonah", and, above a bathing chamber, the first known illustration of the heavens on a hemispherical surface, in which the mirror image of the constellations is joined by the figures of the zodiac. The paintings are inspired by pagan themes and Byzantine portraiture. However, they have their own distinctive style that distinguishes them from other eras. The bathhouse, together with examples in the other castles of the Jordan desert, is also one of the oldest remaining remains of a hammam in the historic Muslim world. Today, graffiti has damaged some of the frescoes, and Qasr Amra is in worse condition than other desert castles such as Qasr Kharana. But conservation work is in progress, with the support of the World Monuments Fund, the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro, and the Jordan's Department of Antiquities.