Qasr Al-Hallabat

Originally, a Roman fort stood where Qasr al-Hallabat now stands. It was constructed as a component of the Limes Arabicus in the beginning of the second century AD on the site of a former Nabatean outpost (the Arabian frontier). The fort was expanded in the fourth century AD, although it was later abandoned and severely damaged by an earthquake in 551 AD. The Ghassanids expanded the Roman ruins afterward by using older black basaltic rock blocks, turning it into a monastery and a palace.

The location was converted into one of the biggest Umayyad desert complexes when the Umayyad caliph Hisham (reigned 724–743) ordered the destruction of the pre-existing building. The main palace has a square floorplan (42 x 43 m) and towers at each corner. It is made of black basalt and limestone. The main structures were further embellished with artistic stucco sculptures, frescoes, and mosaics featuring a variety of animals. A mosque, a water system with five cisterns and a sizable water reservoir, and a bathhouse were all part of the Umayyad addition. There is still an enclosed building to the west of the palace, which was probably used for farming. The location was destroyed and abandoned around 749 AD.

Restoration & Greek inscriptions

Under the direction of Dr. Ignacio Arce, the Spanish Archaeological Mission in Jordan carried out a lengthy excavation, restoration, and museumization project from 2002 to 2013. The orderly gathering of all the surviving engraved stone blocks, which constitute a unique attraction at Qasr Al Hallabat, was also covered. They include a legal statement issued by the imperial court in Constantinople during the reign of Emperor Anastasius I regarding the military organization of the Byzantine Empire’s eastern border (491 – 518 AD). More than 300 lines and roughly 70 chapters of Greek inscriptions are carved into 160 basalt blocks that were later used in the masonry of later construction eras. In the site museum’s Lapidarium, a collection of precise replicas are on exhibit.

A little virtual tour around Qasr Al-Hallabat: