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Qasr
Al Azraq
About 13
kilometers north of the Azraq Junction, on
the highway to Iraq, you will find the large
black fortress of Qasr Al Azraq.
The present
form of the castle dates back to the
beginning of the 13th century CE. Crafted
from local black basalt rock, the castle
exploited Azraq’s important strategic
position and water sources. There is also a
wetland natural reserve surrounding Azraq.
.JPG)
The first fortress here is thought to have
been built by the Romans around 300 CE,
during the reign of Diocletian. The
structure was also used by the Byzantines
and Umayyads. Qasr al Azraq underwent its
final major stage of building in 1237 CE,
when the
Mamluks
redesigned and fortified it.
In the 16th
century the Ottoman Turks stationed a
garrison there, and Lawrence of Arabia made
the fortress his desert headquarters during
the winter of 1917, during the Great Arab
Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.
The castle is
almost square, with 80-metre long walls
encircling a central courtyard. In the
middle of the courtyard is a small mosque
that may be from Umayyad times, along with
the main well.
.JPG)
At each corner of the outer wall, there is
an oblong tower.
The primary entrance is a single massive
hinged slab of granite, which leads to a
vestibule where one can see the remains of a
board game carved into the pavement.
Above the entrance area is the chamber that
was used by Lawrence during his stay in Qasr
Al Azraq.
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