Al-Muwaqqar is situated approximately 30 km to the southeast of Amman. The site is recorded by Yaqut el-Hamawi in Mu`jam al-Buldan (Najjar, 1989) and contains the remains of an Umayyad Palace or Desert Castle. Najjar (1989) excavated the site over roughly one month in 1989.

• Qasr Al-Muwaqqar in Google Earth
  Qasr Al-Muwaqqar in Google Earth
  
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• 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 which he described as follows:

A second architectural phase and occupation was excavated in the Palace. It is obvious from Sq. D5 (W.12), A2 (W.4) and oven (tannur) loc.4, D3 (W.16, 17) and H 14 (W.18, 19) that all these walls belong to a second phase of occupation. It seems that after a partial destruction of the Palace by the earthquake of A.D. 747, 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.

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) wrote the following regarding dating

Unfortunately the dating of the pottery is not based on coins, but on comparative architectural and typological evidence. 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 which he described as follows:

A second architectural phase and occupation was excavated in the Palace. It is obvious from Sq. D5 (W.12), A2 (W.4) and oven (tannur) loc.4, D3 (W.16, 17) and H 14 (W.18, 19) that all these walls belong to a second phase of occupation. It seems that after a partial destruction of the Palace by the earthquake of A.D. 747, 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.

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) wrote the following regarding dating

Unfortunately the dating of the pottery is not based on coins, but on comparative architectural and typological evidence. 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).