Publication Date
First third of the 2nd century / first half of the 8th century
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;jo;Mon01;5;ar
Library Location
It is located 25 km northeast of the city of Zarqa, and 55 km northwest of Azraq Oasis, Wadi Al-Daleel, Jordan
Date
First third of the 2nd century / first half of the 8th century
Notes
The site includes a group of buildings and facilities spread over a wide area, including the palace, the mosque, and a large reservoir, in addition to eight reservoirs dug into the rock and an agricultural courtyard with an advanced irrigation system, as well as a group of modest houses that extend to the northwest of the reservoir or large pond. The building, which was constructed of cut stone blocks of lime and basalt, takes the form of a square, with a side length of 44 metres. Square towers were erected in its corners, protruding from the height of the side walls. The entrance, which opened in the middle of the eastern wall, leads to a corridor whose far end overlooks an open courtyard paved with lime stone slabs. This courtyard is surrounded on three sides by a group of square and rectangular rooms, while the northwestern corner represents a building consisting of a middle courtyard surrounded by a group of rooms. It is possible that this structural unit, independent of the rest of the palace, was the place where household chores were carried out, including pressing grapes, as several vats related to pressing grapes for making wine were found in this unit. Excavation work and the removal of fallen stone blocks inside the palace revealed 146 Greek inscriptions, in addition to two Nabataean inscriptions and one Safavid inscription, all of which were inscribed on blocks of basalt stones. The Greek inscriptions date back to an imperial decree issued by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius (491 - 518) for the economic and social reorganization of the Arab state. These inscriptions appear to have been brought from a nearby location - perhaps from Umm al-Jimal - and were reused as building material in the Umayyad period. The palace was provided with various decorations of engraved plaster, mosaics, and colorful fresco wall paintings (frescos), which indicate that the building had transformed in the Umayyad era from a fortress into a residence or a magnificent palace.
Sample Text
Ghazi Bisheh “Qasr Al Hallabat” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;jo;Mon01;5;ar
