Qasr Amra

Despite the ill-fitting glass windows, the hunting lodge and bath complex of Qasr Amra impresses onlookers with the elegant simplicity of its design. The interior is also the best preserved of the desert palaces; its vaulted ceilings are splashed with colorful frescos, and mosaics grace some of the floors. Restoration of these ancient works is underway, so don’t be surprised by scaffolding.

As centuries of Bedouin campfire soot are removed, a fascinating portrait of Umayyad refinement is slowly reappearing. An early portrayal of the zodiac covers die domed ceiling of the caldar-iutn (hot room). The frescoes are all the more riveting since they date from the earliest days of Muslim culture, when human and animal depictions were permissible. You can reach Qasr Amra on the road heading southwest of Azraq Junction, about 28km from Qasr Azraq.