Qusayr 'Amra, also called Quseir Amra or Qasr Amra (Arabic: قصر عمرة, romanized: Qaṣr ‘Amrah), is the most famous of the desert castles in eastern Jordan today. It was built between 723 and 743 by Walid Ibn Yazid, who later became the Umayyad caliph Walid II. At that time, Walid Ibn Yazid was gaining influence in the region. The site is one of the most important examples of early Islamic art and architecture.
The building is part of a larger complex that once included a royal retreat, which was not used for military purposes. Only the foundation of this larger structure remains today. What is visible now is a small, simple building. The foundation includes a rectangular room for meetings, water systems, and a bathhouse. The bathhouse is one of the oldest surviving examples of a hammam, a type of public bath found in the Muslim world.
The site is best known for the frescoes, or painted decorations, that remain on the ceilings inside. These include images of rulers, hunting scenes, dancers, craftsmen at work, and a newly discovered series of scenes about Jonah. Above one of the bath chambers, there is a unique painting of heaven on a curved surface. This painting shows the mirror image of constellations and the figures of the zodiac. Because of these special features, Qusayr 'Amra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Its status as a World Heritage Site and its location near Jordan’s main east-west highway, close to the city of Amman, make it a popular place for tourists. A preservation project started in 2010 includes removing old repair work and adding new methods to better protect the site.
Location and access
Qusayr 'Amra is located on the north side of Jordan's Highway 40, about 85 kilometres (53 miles) from Amman and 21 kilometres (13 miles) southwest of Al-Azraq. It is inside a large area surrounded by barbed wire fencing. A paved parking lot is at the southeast corner, near the road. A small visitor center collects admission fees. The castle is in the west part of the enclosed area, near a small hill.
Description
Signs of stone walls that once surrounded the area suggest it was part of a large complex covering 25 hectares (62 acres). Remains of a castle, which may have once held a group of soldiers, have also been found nearby.
To the southeast of the main building is a well that is 40 meters (130 feet) deep. Signs of a machine that used animals to lift objects and a dam have also been discovered in this area.
The design of the reception hall and bathhouse is the same as the building at Hammam al-Sarah in Jordan. However, Hammam al-Sarah was built using smooth limestone blocks, following a style common in the Late Roman period. In contrast, the bathhouse at Amra was built using rough stones joined together with a special type of mortar, following a style common in the Sasanian period.
The building is made of limestone and basalt. The northern section, which is two stories tall, has a ceiling with three arches above the main entrance on the east side. The western parts of the building have smaller vaults or domes.
History
The painting of the six kings includes King Roderick of the Visigothic Kingdom. His short rule, from 710 to 712, is often used to estimate the time when the image and possibly the building were created, around 710. For many years, researchers believed that Caliph Walid I built and used Qasr Amra. However, later doubts led experts to consider that one of two princes, Walid or Yazid, who later became caliphs themselves, might have been the builder. In 2012, the discovery of an inscription helped date the structure to between 723 and 743. During this time, it was commissioned by Walid Ibn Yazid, who was the crown prince under Caliph Hisham and briefly ruled as caliph in 743–744.
Both Walid and Yazid spent long periods away from Damascus, the capital of the Umayyad Empire, before becoming rulers. Walid was known for enjoying luxurious activities, such as sitting by pools while listening to music or poetry. He once had performers dressed as stars and constellations entertain him, which may relate to the sky painting in the caldarium. Yazid’s mother was a Persian princess, suggesting he was familiar with Persian culture. He also enjoyed similar pleasures.
The placement of desert castles, like Qasr Amra, focused on access to ancient trade routes connecting Arabia to Syria. A major route ran from the Arabian city of Tayma through Wadi Sirhan to the Balqa plain in Jordan. This explains why Qasr Amra and similar structures, such as Qasr Al-Kharanah and Qasr al-Tuba, were built in this area.
The abandoned structure was rediscovered by Alois Musil in 1898. The frescoes became famous through drawings by the Austrian artist Alphons Leopold Mielich, included in Musil’s book. In the late 1970s, a Spanish team restored the frescoes. In 1985, Qasr Amra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site under criteria i), iii), and iv) ("a masterpiece of human creative genius," "a unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition," and "an outstanding example of a building or landscape that illustrates a significant stage in human history").
Conservation
Since 1970, several conservation projects have been done at Qusayr 'Amra to improve the condition of the building and its frescoes. The first project was led by the Archaeological Museum of Madrid and lasted three years, from 1971 to 1974. This project included repairing parts of the building but focused mainly on restoring the frescoes in the bathhouse. The frescoes were cleaned of soot and coated with a layer of shellac to protect them. However, the shellac actually hurt the paintings more than it protected them. This layer was removed in 1996 by the University of Granada. Over time, the shellac changed color and hid the paintings. During and after its removal, some of the paint on the walls came off.
In 2010, a new conservation project began and is still ongoing today. This project is led by the World Monuments Fund, the Italian Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro, and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan. While this project works on the bathhouse and restores the frescoes, it also pays attention to the buildings outside the bathhouse, such as the qasr, saqiya, and watch tower, which were not previously conserved because earlier projects focused mainly on the frescoes and interior of the bathhouse. The project started by taking notes about the condition of the paintings, frescoes, and building. Lime mortar was added to parts of the structure showing signs of water leaks and missing original mortar. Windows and ceiling covers were also added to stop water from entering the bathhouse and to protect it from outside conditions. Removing more shellac and cleaning the paintings and frescoes revealed bright colors that had not been seen before.
Frescoes
Qusayr 'Amra is most famous for the colorful paintings on its walls. These paintings are important not only for their art but also for showing how Islamic art began and changed, especially during the Umayyad Period. The paintings show many different scenes, such as hunting, bathing, animals, plants, mythical figures, and religious stories.
The main entrance has scenes of hunting, eating fruit and wine, and women without clothing. Some animals shown are not common in the region but were found in Persia, which suggests the artists were influenced by Persian art. One wall shows the building being constructed. Near the bottom of another wall, a king with a glowing circle around his head is seated on a throne. A nearby section, now in Berlin’s Museum of Islamic Art, shows servants and a boat with many fish and birds.
The story of Jonah and the whale is painted four times in the west aisle. These are the earliest known images of Jonah in Islamic art. It is unclear whether the paintings show the story from the Quran or the Bible, as both versions are similar. The presence of amphorae (containers) in the paintings makes them more like the Bible version, but this could mean the artists used models from other sources instead of the religious texts. In the Quran, Jonah is shown as a leader and a person who made good and bad choices. The many images of Jonah in the bathhouse suggest the builder believed he had a divine right to rule, as Jonah was chosen by God to be a leader. Al-Walid, the builder, wanted to show his power came from God, and the connection to Jonah supports this idea.
On the north wall of the west aisle, there is a large painting of a woman swimming without clothing. Fish are shown swimming around her, and a large flower, believed to be a lotus, is nearby. It is unknown who the woman represents, but the style of the painting is similar to classical and Roman art. Some experts think the scene shows a person from the Nile region. The Nile was seen as a symbol of life and abundance, and this image may relate to Al-Walid’s role as a ruler. Opposite this wall is a painting of Al-Walid sitting on a throne, showing the contrast between the swimming woman and the ruler, which may suggest Al-Walid saw himself as a giver of life to his people.
A painting called the "six kings" shows the Umayyad caliph and rulers from other regions. Based on details in the image, four of the kings are identified as the Byzantine Emperor, the Visigothic king Roderic, the Sassanid Persian Shah, and the Negus of Ethiopia. The sixth king was once unknown but is now believed to be the emperor of China. The Greek word "Nike," meaning victory, found nearby suggests the painting shows the caliph’s power over his enemies. Another idea is that the six figures are bowing to the caliph, who would be seated in the hall.
The frescoes in all rooms except the caldarium reflect the advice of Arab doctors of the time. These doctors believed baths could drain energy, so they suggested covering walls with images of activities like hunting, lovers, and gardens to help restore balance in the body. Many mosaics and frescoes use repeating geometric shapes, colors, and patterns. A major theme in the palace is water, as seen in a mosaic of the Roman god Neptune, who ruled the sea. These images highlight the importance of water in the bathhouses.
The apodyterium, or changing room, has scenes of animals performing music. One unclear image shows an angel looking at a covered human figure. This has been thought to be a death scene, but others believe the figure is a couple. Three dark faces on the ceiling may represent stages of life. Some Christians in the area think the middle figure is Jesus Christ.
The tepidarium, or warm bath, has scenes of plants and trees similar to those in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Two of the three frescoes showing women bathing are in this room. These scenes show women carrying water to bathe children and include images of erotes (mythical figures). The women are fully nude, which was accepted during the Umayyad Period because the building was not religious. The scenes have Roman influences, including the use of erotes and backgrounds that resemble Roman art. Some experts think the women may be goddesses, as women were not allowed in bathhouses. Men could only enter if covered, which is shown in the images of men in the bathhouse. The few figures in the frescoes allowed viewers to focus on the scenes and connect them to the activities happening in the room.
The caldarium, or hot bath, has a dome painted with the night sky, including the zodiac and 35 constellations. This is believed to be the earliest painted image of the night sky on a curved surface. The lines on the dome start from the north celestial pole, and the zodiac is shown accurately. Creating this painting was difficult, but evidence shows the artist made several corrections, proving their skill. The only mistake in the surviving artwork is the direction of the stars, which suggests the image was copied from a flat surface.