Qasr Al-Mushatta

The incomplete, tawny-toned limestone-brick edifice, Qasr Al-Mushatta. “The Winter Castle” compromises an entrance hall, mosque, an audience hall, and residential quarters. It is the biggest and most spectacular of the Umayyad palaces.

Near the Queen Alia International Airport, 30 kilometers south of Amman, sits the palace of Mushatta, which is Arabic for “winter.”

Al-Walid II, the short-lived Umayyad caliph (743–744 AD), is thought to have begun its construction. However, archeologists suggest that the process was never finished. According to historical tales, Al-Walid II was assassinated and most of the Qasr’s remains were devastated by an earthquake. The palace’s main purpose was to provide a dignified setting for the caliph to host audiences and hold high-level conferences with local tribal chiefs.

The intricate ornamentation of Qasr al-southern Mushatta’s main façade, which features intricate reliefs deeply cut into the limestone, is well known around the world. Animals and people are shown under a canopy of vines on the western (left) part, amid zigzag moldings and exquisite rosettes and octagons. Due to the mosque being behind the gate, the decorations on the right side are geometric.

In 1903, the ornate portion of the southern façade was shipped to Germany as a token of appreciation for building the Hejaz Railway. It is on display at the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin’s Museum Island. In 2013, the Kingdom of Jordan and the Federal Republic of Germany collaborated on a project to comprehensively restore the original site.

A little virtual tour around Qasr Al-Mushatta: