AZRAQ - Sitting silently on the vast expanse of the eastern desert, Qasr Amra is a unique part of the Kingdom's heritage, a well-preserved cultural time capsule of life in the 8th century.
Unlike the other so-called desert castles that dot the eastern region of the Kingdom, Qasr Amra is not marked by its historical significance, as is the Arab Revolt-era Qasr Azraq, or by its imposing height, like Qasr Kharana.
Rather, it is the site's haunting images that make it unique and more of an art museum than a desert outpost.
Captured in time are startlingly well-preserved murals of hunting scenes, Greek gods and goddesses and empires long lost that adorn the walls of the castle.
Although the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has no clear records on how many visitors frequent the site, believed by experts to be a hunting lodge and spa for early Umayyad rulers, some tour guides place the figure at around 1,000 a month.
Busloads of tourists come to the castle, the hallmark of several various desert-castle tours, to marvel at the painted frescos lining the walls and ceilings of the 8th century hunting lodge, providing an insight into the art and daily life of the time.
Believed to be built during the reign of Caliph Walid I, murals depict the Umayyad ruler surrounded by leaders of different civilisations representing the Persian, Byzantine, Germanic, Abyssinian and Chinese empires, which some experts believe was an attempt to highlight the Umayyads' supremacy over their rivals.
Other murals on the outpost's intricate hammam depict scenes from Roman and Greek mythology, an astrological chart complete with zodiac signs, naked women dancers and even a bear playing an acoustic instrument, a stark violation of the strict regulations against iconoclasm at the time.
Due to its significant cultural and artistic history, the castle was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1985 along with Petra, highlighting the importance of the out-of-the-way "pleasure" palace.
Playing the rababa for visitors and acting as an eager guide at the complex, Azraq resident Abu Hamzeh said he enjoys working at the site, where he has been employed for the last 20 years.
"This place is as much me as it is Jordan," he said, as he directed his laser pointer to outline hidden frescoes in the main audience hall.
"Each time I show visitors around I find something new, something interesting. I work in history," he noted, boasting that he has shown tourists from across the world the intricacies of the eastern desert gem.
Although he enjoys guiding visitors through the storied halls of the Umayyad hunting lodge, Abu Hamzeh said he appreciates Qasr Amra the most at dusk, a time when the castle truly comes to life.
Because, as the tourists leave and the sun begins to set on the 1,300-year-old site, the murals' exotic dancers, hunters and emperors remain, with Abu Hamzeh's rababa echoing music of festivals long ago.
By Taylor Luck
© Jordan Times 2008
