Qasr Burqu’: An Umayyad Desert Palace and Historical Site in Jordan
Visitor Information
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Country: Jordan
Civilization: Unclassified
Remains: Military
History
Qasr Burqu’ is located within the municipality of Ruwaished in modern-day Jordan. The site’s earliest human presence goes back to prehistoric times, with evidence of occupation during the Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic periods, approximately between 7000 and 6000 BCE. This long history highlights its enduring appeal, largely due to water resources in an otherwise arid environment.
During the Roman period, the site was developed into a military fortification. This phase introduced a stone tower and established a strategic presence in the area. Following Roman control, the region saw the construction of a Byzantine monastery, indicating a shift toward religious activity and settlement in late antiquity.
Around the early 8th century CE, during the time of al-Walid I—who was then emir and later became an Umayyad caliph—Qasr Burqu’ underwent significant transformation. Al-Walid I is credited with either founding or substantially renovating the site, turning it into an Umayyad desert palace complex. This complex served multiple roles, including overseeing and taxing the migration patterns of nomadic herders and their livestock, controlling nearby roads, and supporting new agricultural efforts within the semi-arid landscape. It also functioned as a desert retreat, providing space for leisure activities such as hunting.
In the medieval period, the site remained in use, primarily by Bedouin tribes. Inscriptions carved into the basalt around Qasr Burqu’ bear testimony to regular seasonal occupation, suggesting its continued importance as a summer grazing and camping area.
Remains
The layout of Qasr Burqu’ is centered around a stone tower constructed of black basalt, a volcanic rock common in the region. This tower, originally built in the Roman period, rises approximately five meters today but is estimated to have reached a height of up to thirteen meters in antiquity. The tower now forms the core of the early Islamic palace complex established by the Umayyads, who incorporated Roman structures into their design.
Surrounding the tower, the settlement features substantial walls and enclosures made from the same black basalt stones. These stone enclosures historically served to pen livestock, a practice linked to the nomadic populations using the site for herding sheep and goats, particularly during dry seasons when water sources elsewhere were sparse.
Water management was a key aspect of Qasr Burqu’s development, taking advantage of nearby natural formations. The site lies close to Wadi Minqat, a dry riverbed that collects winter rainwater into shallow basins and ponds. Over time, various catchment and storage installations were added at uncertain dates and origins to capitalize on this natural water supply, supporting larger temporary populations and agriculture in the vicinity.
The basalt rocks around the site also bear numerous inscriptions, carved during the medieval era by Bedouin groups who camped seasonally in the area. These markings provide direct evidence of the site’s ongoing use as a pastoral encampment well after its period as a fortified palace.
Together, the Roman tower, basalt enclosures, water-retention systems, and rock inscriptions illustrate a complex, multi-layered site that evolved continuously to meet the needs of diverse users—from prehistoric foragers to Umayyad rulers and Bedouin herders.