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Qasr Tuba is an 8th-century
The palace at Qasr at-Tuba may have been the residence or hunting lodge of the Caliph's sons, since hunting was a favoured pastime of the aristocracy. It also served as a caravanserai and was part of the Caliph's program to improve the routes to
Qasr al-Tuba
Archnet Digital Library.
Photos of Qasr Tuba
American Center of Research
Website about the discovery of Qasr Tuba
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by the ...
''qasr'' or castle in the Amman Governorate
Amman Governorate, officially known as Muhafazat al-Asima ( ar, محافظة العاصمة, English translation: The Capital Governorate), is one of the governorates in Jordan. The governorate's capital is the city of Amman, which is also the ...
of northern Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
.
History
Qasr at-Tuba is the southernmost of the Umayyaddesert castles
The Umayyad desert castles, of which the desert castles of Jordan represent a prominent part, are fortified palaces or castles in what was the then Umayyad province of Bilad al-Sham. Most Umayyad "desert castles" are scattered over the semi-arid ...
in Jordan. Built in 743 CE by Caliph al-Walid II for his sons, al-Hakam and ‘Uthman, it was initially intended to consist of two roughly courtyard dwellings with projecting semicircular decorative towers, but the project was never completed. The structure appears to have been abandoned some time after the assassination of Caliph al Walid.
The palace at Qasr at-Tuba may have been the residence or hunting lodge of the Caliph's sons, since hunting was a favoured pastime of the aristocracy. It also served as a caravanserai and was part of the Caliph's program to improve the routes to Hijaz
The Hejaz (, also ; ar, ٱلْحِجَاز, al-Ḥijāz, lit=the Barrier, ) is a region in the west of Saudi Arabia. It includes the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu, Taif, and Baljurashi. It is also known as the "Western Provi ...
, at a time when the number of caravans passing through the region had increased substantially. It lacks the imperial features associated with other desert castles, suggesting that it was used as a temporary or seasonal residence rather than a permanent one.
The site was brought to art historical attention after it was visited in 1896 by the Czech
Czech may refer to:
* Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe
** Czech language
** Czechs, the people of the area
** Czech culture
** Czech cuisine
* One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus'
Places
* Czech, ...
explorer Alois Musil
Alois Musil (30 June 1868 – 12 April 1944) was a Czech theologian, orientalist, explorer and bilingual Czech and German writer.
Biography
Musil was the oldest son born in 1868 into an poor farming family in Moravia (then Cisleithanian pa ...
.
Description
It is situated about south-east of the capital, Amman. Its location is relatively isolated, in a desert location and access can be difficult. Most desert castles are located near to a source of water. Qasr al Tuba is no exception; wells are located nearby, close to a dry river bed ("wadi
Wadi ( ar, وَادِي, wādī), alternatively ''wād'' ( ar, وَاد), North African Arabic Oued, is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some instances, it may refer to a wet (ephemeral) riverbed that contains water ...
") and the site includes a dam and several wells.
The surviving foundations and structures reveal its current layout as consisting of the west wing only; of an oblong enclosure measuring , almost a double square, or two symmetrical enclosures, each with a grand entrance, connected by an internal corridor, which could be cut off when necessary. The enclosure walls are supported by semi-round towers, except on the north side where the two gateways are flanked by two square rooms. The northwestern section is nearly intact and several lengths of curtain-wall exist on the western side. A prayer chapel has also been identified on the site.
The surviving structures consist of ashlar masonry with baked brick and barrel-vaulted roofs. The lintels are decorated with rosettes, intertwined with plant leaves, which give the impression of fine lace work.
It is a prime example of an Umayyad construction of brick vaults set on brick walls. The ''Lonely Planet Guide'' describes it as "easily the most impressive of the lesser-known castles.""Jordan- Eastern Desert Attractions," Online: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/eastern-desert/attractions/qasr-al-tuba/a/poi-sig/1106901/361086
See also
*Desert castle
The Umayyad desert castles, of which the desert castles of Jordan represent a prominent part, are fortified palaces or castles in what was the then Umayyad province of Bilad al-Sham. Most Umayyad "desert castles" are scattered over the semi-arid ...
s
* Islamic art
Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide ra ...
* Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic ...
* Jordanian art
Jordanian art has a very ancient history. Some of the earliest figurines, found at Aïn Ghazal, near Amman, have been dated to the Neolithic period. A distinct Jordanian aesthetic in art and architecture emerged as part of a broader Islamic art ...
* Umayyad architecture
Umayyad architecture developed in the Umayyad Caliphate between 661 and 750, primarily in its heartlands of Syria and Palestine. It drew extensively on the architecture of older Middle Eastern and Mediterranean civilizations including the Sassa ...
References
External links
Qasr al-Tuba
Archnet Digital Library.
Photos of Qasr Tuba
American Center of Research
Further reading
* Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair (eds), ''Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture,'' hree-Volume Set Oxford University Press, 2009 {{Amman Governorate Amman Governorate Umayyad palaces Umayyad architecture in Jordan 8th-century establishments in the Umayyad Caliphate