The Jordan that Tourists Rarely See 3: Qasr Amra

Not only merchants, but rulers and imperial administrators crossed the desert while attending to affairs of state. They built very different castles from the caravanserai, sort of private hunting lodges/resort spas. The most elegant is the small Qasr (Castle) Amra, between Qasr Kharaneh and Azraq Oasis. South of the black basalt zone, it is built of white sandstone. Its builder, a Caliph (ruler) of the Umayyad Dynasty—scholars aren’t sure which, but most likely either Walid II or Yazid III—brought in top artists of the realm to adorn its walls with beautiful frescos of huge historic interest and artistic merit. Some are of political themes, including images of the six kings of the known world, presumably intended to show the Caliph’s power and influence. One of these is King Roderick the Visigoth of Spain, whose short reign dates the images, and probably the building, to around 710. Other images depict daily life, hunting and wildlife species, some of which, such as the lion, are now extinct in Arabia. Included prominently are rather un-Islamic scenes of nearly naked women drinking wine, evidence that the Caliph’s mind was not always on state business. In 1985 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.