The Lavish, Livable — Sometimes Naughty — Sandcastles of Ancient Jordan
By Abeer Ayyoub • JUL 20 2018
About an hour east from Amman, you’ll see them rising up out of the desert: lavish sandcastles, artfully decorated. These ancient structures served as home away from home for spiritual leaders while hunting in the Jordanian desert. Now, 1,300 years later, tourists can get a peek inside these fascinating ancient “vacation homes.â€
In the eighth century, several one-story sand palaces were built in the eastern desert of Jordan under the Damascus-based Umayyad caliphate. Among the castles are Qasr Al-Hallabt, Hamam Al-Sarh, Al-Harrana and the pristinely preserved Qasr Amra. A visit is a window to early Islamic-Arab civilization and the Umayyad caliphs’ lifestyle.
https://www.ozy.com/good-sht/the-lavish-livable-sometimes-naughty-sandcastles-of-ancient-jordan/88129
