The most interesting attractions lie within a few meters of the entrance. Carved into the pavement behind the main gate is a Roman board game. Just above the entrance you’ll find the room used by the aforementioned British charmer during his short stay on the premises—it is no longer the fetid dungeon where he sought to punish himself for the failure of one of his missions. The castle, which was first built by the Romans as a fort in 300 AD and later rebuilt by the Ayyubids in 1237, used to rise up in three levels. Only parts of the second level survived the 1926 earthquake, including a ceiling that exposes a web of huge basalt beams.

A two-minute walk away from Qasr Azraq is the palatial Al-Sayyad Hotel and Restaurant (tel. 64 76 11, ext. 94). Though the dozens of apparently Cezanne-inspired still-lifes by some no-talent named “Lydia” might make a bad impression, doubles are only JD28, singles JD24, including breakfast (communal bathrooms only; prices negotiable). For JD3, you can also take a plunge in their pool, with bathing suits provided if you forgot yours. Restaurant open 8am-llpm; a glance at the prices may result in a stroke: hummus 600fils, kabab JD2.200, coffee 400fils—but it’s either a stroke or starvation: there no other decent eating options around. Although inconveniently located at the southern edge of town, the Zoubi Hotel (tel. 64 16 22) is an even better deal.