• from Chat GPT 4o, 28 June 2025
• sources: Wikipedia – Desert castles, Najjar (1989)

Al-Muwaqqar is situated approximately 30 km southeast of Amman, on a plateau that served as a transitional zone between the settled highlands and the desert steppe. The site is recorded by the 13th-century geographer Yaqut el-Hamawi in Muʿjam al-Buldan (Najjar, 1989), offering one of the earliest medieval references to the area.

The main feature of the site is the partially preserved structure of an Umayyad palace, or desert castle. Although heavily eroded, standing architectural elements include portions of a square enclosure wall, internal chambers, and fragments of ornamental stonework. These features place al-Muwaqqar among the eastern Jordanian Umayyad-era complexes such as Qasr Mushash and Qasr al-Hallabat.

Excavations conducted over a one-month period in 1989 by Najjar (1989) exposed parts of the palace interior, recovering decorated stone fragments and ceramic sherds. Although no formal stratigraphy was established, the architecture and material culture support its classification within the early 8th-century CE Umayyad building tradition.

• Qasr Al-Muwaqqar in Google Earth
  Qasr Al-Muwaqqar in Google Earth
  
  click on image to explore this site on a new tab in Google Earth
• Fig. 2 - Plan of Qasr Al-Muwaqqar
  Figure 2
  
  ADAJ (1989)
  from ADAJ (1989)

Najjar (1989) identified two destruction levels in Area IV at al-Muwaqqar. He reports that “a second architectural phase and occupation was excavated in the Palace.” He notes that “it is obvious from Sq. D5 (W.12), A2 (W.4), and oven (tannur) loc.4, D3 (W.16, 17) and H14 (W.18, 19) that all these walls belong to a second phase of occupation.” Najjar continues: “It seems that after a partial destruction of the Palace by the earthquake of A.D. 747 [JW: 749 CE Sabbatical Year Earthquake sequence], the remains of the Palace were used by the local population. The destruction layer was cleared (the walls of the second phase were built directly above the flagstone pavement of the Umayyad Palace) and the Palace and its surrounding area (Sq. H14) were reoccupied.” He adds that “after one century and probably slightly later the Palace was abandoned after another destruction (earthquake?) later in the 9th century (during this period Jordan was struck by earthquakes three times in 847, 853–54, 859–60).”

Najjar (1989:309) also comments on the chronological evidence, stating: “Unfortunately the dating of the pottery is not based on coins, but on comparative architectural and typological evidence.” However, “beside the differences in shape and decoration we were fortunate enough to find some datable material in stratified deposits (small glazed jar and typical Abbasid lamps).”

Abbasid pottery was retrieved presumably above the lower destruction level and dated to between 730 and 840 CE.

Najjar (1989) identified two destruction levels in Area IV at al-Muwaqqar. He states that “a second architectural phase and occupation was excavated in the Palace.” He explains that “it is obvious from Sq. D5 (W.12), A2 (W.4) and oven (tannur) loc.4, D3 (W.16, 17) and H14 (W.18, 19) that all these walls belong to a second phase of occupation.” Najjar continues: “It seems that after a partial destruction of the Palace by the earthquake of A.D. 747 [JW: 749 CE Sabbatical Year Earthquake sequence], the remains of the Palace were used by the local population. The destruction layer was cleared (the walls of the second phase were built directly above the flagstone pavement of the Umayyad Palace) and the Palace and its surrounding area (Sq. H14) were reoccupied.” He adds that “after one century and probably slightly later the Palace was abandoned after another destruction (earthquake?) later in the 9th century (during this period Jordan was struck by earthquakes three times in 847, 853–54, 859–60).”

Najjar (1989:309) also addressed the dating evidence, writing that “unfortunately the dating of the pottery is not based on coins, but on comparative architectural and typological evidence.” He adds: “Beside the differences in shape and decoration we were fortunate enough to find some datable material in stratified deposits (small glazed jar and typical Abbasid lamps).”

Effect	Location	Image (s)	Comments
Collapsed Walls inferred from rebuilding evidence	Umayyad Palace		the destruction layer was cleared (the walls of the second phase were built directly above the flagstone pavement of the Umayyad Palace) - Najjar (1989)

Effect	Location	Image (s)	Comments
Destruction	Umayyad Palace		the Palace was abandoned after another destruction (earthquake?) later in the 9th century - Najjar (1989)

• Earthquake Archeological Effects chart
  Earthquake Archeological Effects (EAE)
  
  Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)
  of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)

Effect	Location	Image (s)	Comments	Intensity
Collapsed Walls inferred from rebuilding evidence	Umayyad Palace		the destruction layer was cleared (the walls of the second phase were built directly above the flagstone pavement of the Umayyad Palace) - Najjar (1989)	VIII +

The archeoseismic evidence requires a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224).

• Earthquake Archeological Effects chart
  Earthquake Archeological Effects (EAE)
  
  Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)
  of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)

Effect	Location	Image (s)	Comments	Intensity
Destruction - Collapsed Walls	Umayyad Palace		the Palace was abandoned after another destruction (earthquake?) later in the 9th century - Najjar (1989)	VIII +

The archeoseismic evidence requires a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224).