This is a list offortified buildings and complexes in Jordan from across all historical periods:forts,fortresses,castles, fortified palace complexes,caravanserais,pilgrims' inns, etc.
Some date toRoman times, or were built by theCrusaders in the 12th century.[1] Others were built by various Muslim dynasties and groups, such as theUmayyads,Abbasids,Ayyubids,Mamluks,Ottomans, and local tribal leaders.
A distinct group of fortified sites are the so-calleddesert castles, known from the entire region but particularly well represented in Jordan. What is known in English as a "desert castle" is known inArabic asqaṣr (singular),quṣur being the plural in Arabic[2] (seehere) and usually date to the Umayyad period. To make things complicated, not allUmayyad qasrs were built in the desert, 'qasr' may be used in Arabic for any type of fort or castle (but not in English-language academic literature), and certainly not all fortified places in the desert can be called desert castles in this sense.
| Name | Location | Picture | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajloun Castle | Jordan |  | Ajloun Castle (Arabic:قلعة عجلون),transliterated: Qalʻat 'Ajloun; also Qalʻat ar-Rabad), is a 12th-century Muslim castle situated in northwesternJordan. The castle was renovated in 1184 and it regulated traffic betweenDamascus and Egypt.[3] It is placed on a hilltop surrounded by a 15 meter deep moat and had seven towers. The castle was destroyed by Mongols in 1260, and subsequently rebuilt in the 17th century.[4] |
| Aqaba Fortress | Jordan |  | TheAqaba Castle,Mamluk Castle orAqaba Fort (Arabic:قلعة العقبة,romanized: Qalʿat al-ʿAqaba), located inAqaba,Jordan, is a fortress originally built byCrusaders in the 12th century, and namedHelim.Ayla (ancient Aqaba) was recaptured bySaladin in 1187 and the fortress was destroyed, until it was rebuilt in the early 16th century under theMamluk SultanAl-Ashraf Qansuh Al-Ghuri.[5] The castle was captured by theOttoman's in 1917.[6] |
| Kerak Castle | Jordan |  | Kerak Castle (Arabic:قلعة الكرك,romanized: Qal'at al-Karak) is a largeCrusader castle located inal-Karak,Jordan. It was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century and it is situated high on a hilltop.[7] Construction of the castle began in the 1140s, underPagan andFulk, King of Jerusalem. The Crusaders called itCrac des Moabites[8] |
| Montreal (castle) | Arabah Valley,Jordan |  | Montreal (Arabic:مونتريال;Latin:Mons Regalis, Mont Real), orQal'at ash-Shawbak (قلعة الشوبك) in Arabic, is a castle built by theCrusaders and expanded by theMamluks, on the eastern side of theArabah Valley.[9] |
| Qasr Al-Kharanah | Jordan |  | Qasr Kharana (Arabic:قصر خرّانة), sometimesQasr al-Harrana,Qasr al-Kharanah,Kharaneh orHraneh, is one of the best-known of thedesert castles located in present-day easternJordan, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) east ofAmman It is believed to have been built sometime before the early 8th century AD and consists of stone walls and large round corner towers.[10] |
| Qusayr 'Amra | Jordan |  | Qusayr 'Amra orQuseir Amra,lit. "small qasr of 'Amra", sometimes also namedQasr Amra (قصر عمرة /ALA-LC:Qaṣr ‘Amrah), is the best-known of thedesert castles located in present-day easternJordan. It was built some time between 723 and 743, by Walid Ibn Yazid, the futureUmayyadcaliphWalid II.[11] |
| Qasr Al-Mshatta | Jordan |  | Qasr Mushatta (Arabic:قصر المشتى, "Winter Palace") is the ruin of anUmayyad winter palace, probably commissioned byCaliphAl-Walid II during his reign (743-744). The castle is 144 square meters and it was used for ceremonies.[12] |
| Qasr Azraq | Jordan |  | Qasr al-Azraq (Arabic:قصر الأزرق, "Blue Fortress") is a large fortress located in present-day easternJordan. It is one of thedesert castles, located on the outskirts of present-dayAzraq, roughly 100 km (62 mi) east ofAmman.[13] |
| Qasr al-Muwaqqar andQasr al-Mushash | Jordan | Qasr al-Muwaqqar (Arabic:قصر الموقر), and Qasr al-Mushash (Arabic:قصر المشاش), were built in 723 AD, is the ruins of anUmayyad complex, theQasr al-Muwaqqar, aqasr-type fortified palace also known as adesert castle. The original castles are mostly destroyed.[14] | |
| Qasr Bayir Castle | Jordan |  | Qasr Bayir (Arabic:قصر بيير), was constructed in 743 AD byAl-Walid II. It is found in the desert of Jordan and it was destroyed in 1931.[15] |
| Qasr Burqu | Jordan |  | Qasr Burqu' (Arabic:قصر برق), is a set ofruins and anarchaeological site in thebadia of easternJordan and is the site of one of the earliest of theUmayyaddesert castles.[13] |
| Qasr Al-Qatraneh | Jordan |  | Qasr Al-Qatraneh (Arabic:قلعة القطرانة); alternatively: "Qatraneh" or "Qatrana Castle," "Fortress Qatrana," or "Khan Qatraneh") is an Ottoman structure which largely served to provide water and protection on the Syrianpilgrimage route between theLevant and theGulf. It is located in modern-dayJordan.[16][17] |
| Qasr Tuba | Jordan |  | Qasr at-Tuba (Arabic:قصر طوبا), is the southernmost of the Umayyaddesert castles in Jordan. Built in 743 CE by Caliphal-Walid II for his sons, al-Hakam and ‘Uthman,[18] |
| Vaux Moise (Wu'ayra Castle) | Wadi Musa,Jordan | Vaux Moise, (Arabic:فو مويس), alsoLi Vaux Moise orAlwaeira Castle (The Valley of Moses) is a small crusader castle close toWadi Musa inJordan. It was founded byBaldwin I of Jerusalem as an outpost of the larger crusader castle atMontreal.[1] |
Map for castle locations |
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