Amman Citadel - Umayyad Structures

Transliterated Name	Language	Name
Umayyad Palace	English	‎
al-Qasr	Arabic	القصر

Introduction

The Umayyad Palace is the best preserved structure on the Amman Citadel (Almagro and Olavarri, 1982).

Amman - Introduction Webpage

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Aerial Views and Plans

Aerial Views

Citadel of Amman in Google Earth

Citadel of Amman in Google Earth

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Plans

Normal Size

Area Plan of the Citadel

Amman Citadel

JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map

in Amman from maps-amman.com
Fig. 1 - General plan of

Figure 1

General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

Alamgro et al (2000)

the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
Fig. 1 - Congregational
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:
1. General plan
2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
3. View to north of the souq east portico
4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule
Arce (2000)
Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Magnified

Area Plan of the Citadel

Amman Citadel

JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map

in Amman from maps-amman.com
Fig. 1 - General plan of

Figure 1

General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

Alamgro et al (2000)

the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
Fig. 1 - Congregational
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:
1. General plan
2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
3. View to north of the souq east portico
4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule
Arce (2000)
Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Mid 8th century CE earthquake

Excavations by Alamagro

Plans

Normal Size

Area Plan of the Citadel

Amman Citadel

JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map

in Amman from maps-amman.com
Fig. 1 - General plan of

Figure 1

General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

Alamgro et al (2000)

the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
Fig. 1 - Congregational
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:
1. General plan
2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
3. View to north of the souq east portico
4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule
Arce (2000)
Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Magnified

Area Plan of the Citadel

Amman Citadel

JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map

in Amman from maps-amman.com
Fig. 1 - General plan of

Figure 1

General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

Alamgro et al (2000)

the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
Fig. 1 - Congregational
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:
1. General plan
2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
3. View to north of the souq east portico
4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule
Arce (2000)
Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)

Discussion

Alamgro et al (2000) excavated Building F in the Umayyad Palace on the Amman Citadel between 1989 and 1995. There they concluded that the appearance of the remains leads us to believe that the ruin of the building, and specifically of the arches of the courtyard happened in a sudden and catastrophic way, in all probability as a result of an earthquake.

The instantaneous nature of the event is discussed below:

In the sector of the courtyard and those rooms that were not cleared of rubble - 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11 and 14-15, there is evidence of the characteristic stratum produced by the violent destruction of the building. It is a layer which may be even greater than 1 m in depth, and which is characterised by ample building material: masonry, ashlars and even bricks in the courtyard, and particularly by the dark grey mortar and ash used in the Umayyad construction. The characteristics of the stratum in question prove that the collapse undoubtedly occurred instantaneously; we are not in any way dealing with the slow decay of an abandoned building, but rather with the devastating effects of a natural disaster.

The dating of the destruction layer is discussed below:

Unfortunately, there has been no discovery of any coins or anything else which might offer an exact dating. Generally speaking, the archaeological records are very scarce with regard to objects, and only the pottery findings are of relative significance (Fig. 15-17), even though they are scarce, but they are clearly from the Umayyad period, as has been shown from a detailed study. In fact, the pottery found seems to be from the later part of the Umayyad period, which has characteristic forms such as bowls painted in red over white slip, round cooking pots, and even the undoubtedly exceptional discovery of some glazed items. This refers to a set of items closely related to others dated as mid-eighth century, for example, the oldest level of Khirbat al-Mafjar, or the destruction of the Umayyad houses excavated by Bennet and Northedge in the same citadel of Amman.

... The materials found, especially the pottery, make it possible to confirm that the event in question took place at about the middle of the eighth century.

Alamgro et al (2000) did not explicitly discuss dating evidence for the layer above the destruction layer but they did describe it.

After the catastrophe, in Building F there were a series of proceedings of minor importance from a constructive point of view, and which represent a rather regressive process, but which provide evidence of the reuse of the space in question at a time which we believe to be immediately after the earthquake, since there are no signs that point to an intermediate period when it was abandoned. Strictly speaking, the partial reuse of the building can hardly be considered as a new constructive phase, but what is clear is that they made good use of the existing walls and spaces. At any rate, after its destruction, the building was never again used for its original purpose, as a palatial residence.

Alamgro et al (2000)'s conclusions were as follows:

The building was never completely finished: construction of the walls, vaults and columns was completed, but not the plastering of the walls, only the basic plaster. The same can be applied to the buildings of the eastern sector excavated by the Italian delegation, judging by the photographs we have seen. In any case, we are dealing with circumstances which did not affect the possibility of inhabiting the building.
At the time of its destruction by the earthquake, the building hardly seems to have been inhabited, since in none of the sectors where rubble from the disaster has been excavated, have there been any signs of domestic utensils, organic remains, or even the bodies of people or animals which would normally accompany such levels in other sites and even in other parts of the citadel of Amman.
Immediately after the earthquake, the building was partially and marginally re-exploited; this consisted basically of clearing up certain rooms and reusing them as simple dwellings. One of the iwans was even transformed into the workshop of the oven which was never put into use. This phase seems to have lasted only a short time, probably no more than some decades, and certainly it cannot date from long before the Abbasid period.

Excavations by Harding

Plans

Normal Size

Area Plan of the Citadel

Amman Citadel

JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map

in Amman from maps-amman.com
Fig. 1 - General plan of

Figure 1

General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

Alamgro et al (2000)

the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
Fig. 1 - Congregational
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:
1. General plan
2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
3. View to north of the souq east portico
4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule
Arce (2000)
Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)
Fig. 1 - Plan from

Figure 1

Harding (1951)

Harding (1951)

Magnified

Area Plan of the Citadel

Amman Citadel

JW: Umayyad Palace at top of map

from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map

in Amman from maps-amman.com
Fig. 1 - General plan of

Figure 1

General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel.

Alamgro et al (2000)

the north part of the Amman citadel from Alamgro et al (2000)
Fig. 1 - Congregational
Figure 1

Congregational Mosque and Souq Square at Amman Citadel:
1. General plan
2. Elevation of the souq east portico.
3. View to north of the souq east portico
4. View of the blind arch on the western façade of the vestibule
Arce (2000)
Mosque and Souq Square on the Citadel in Amman from Arce (2000)
Fig. 1 - Plan from

Figure 1

Harding (1951)

Harding (1951)

Discussion

Harding (1951:10-11) described wall collapse in Room H of one of the Umayyad structures on the Citadel in Amman. Harding (1951:7) describes the area excavated as being located on the south side of the western, highest part of the citadel. Harding (1951:10-11) associated this wall collapse with fragments of a sandstone fire altar which he presumed was on a shelf before the wall collapsed. Russell (1985) cites Harding (1951) when reporting on collapsed Umayyad structures uncovered during excavation of the Citadel in 1949.

Mid 8th century CE earthquake

Effect	Location	Image (s)	Comments
Collapsed Arches Roof collapse Wall collapse iwan destruction Debris	Building F Figure 1 General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel. Alamgro et al (2000)		The majority of the most fragile structures of Building F, particularly the series of arches in the courtyard, the entrance arches to the iwans and part of the roofing, were destroyed at some time near to their actual construction, because there is no previous evidence of the characteristic repairs to walls and, in particular, to paving, which is usually evidence of prolonged use of a building. The characteristics of the deep stratum of destruction affecting arches and columns give us some clues to understanding the ruin of this building. The level is composed exclusively of rubble among which it can easily be seen that the elements of construction have fallen in situ, and therefore they have not been brought from elsewhere. On the other hand, the fact that there is a lack of wind-deposited earth (soil erosion) and that there is an overwhelming presence of broken-up gypsum mortar between bricks and masonry shows that the collapse happened suddenly and so, consequently, we are not dealing with the effects of a slow process of destruction. There is no evidence of any charred remains to show that the cause might have been a fire or action of war. ... The depth of the stratum of destruction varies according to the different spaces, since some were abandoned, other cleared up wholly or partially, and it seems that in some rooms they did not even suffer the collapse of the covering. At any rate, it always coincides with the height at which the plastering materials covering the walls is conserved. In fact, this layer seems to have fallen off all those walls that were left uncovered after the earthquake, and it has only been conserved in the parts of the walls that were buried under the rubble. In practically all the excavated areas, the height at which the layer is conserved coincides with the accumulation of rubble on the Umayyad floor. ... A large part of the roofing, series of arches, and even the façades of the iwans collapsed, leaving huge quantities of rubble which in some parts reached a depth of more than one metre. - Alamgro et al (2000)
Collapsed Arches Broken columns Wall collapse Debris	Courtyard of Building F Figure 1 General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel. Alamgro et al (2000)		This is the space which provides the clearest evidence of the effects of the earthquake. On the paving we can find an important amount of rubble reaching a height of more than 1 m in some areas, acting as a support for the columns and arches of the portico, broken and shattered on the floor of the palace. Among the building material, especially in the centre of the courtyard, a large number of square bricks were found, with remains of the characteristic lime mortar with ashes, identical to that of the walls they had been taken from. We are uncertain which part of the building these bricks were used in, although from their position among the collapsed rubble, and since there is no trace of them among the standing remains, we are inclined to think that they formed part of the construction over the series of arches of the courtyard, maybe a parapet. Bricks were hardly found in the perimeter corridor, between the series of arches and the walls, as they tended to fall towards the centre of the courtyard; however, a considerable number of yellowish limestone ashlars, cut in the shape of voussoirs were found, probably ones which formed part of the vaulting covering the portico. Remains of the plaster which covered the intrados were found on several of them. - Alamgro et al (2000)
Broken Columns	Colonnaded Street between Buildings C and B to the east and D and E to the west Figure 1 General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel. Alamgro et al (2000)	Broken Columns at Colonnaded Street in Umayyad Palace Amman, Jordan Photo by Jefferson Williams	JW: These breaks, albeit undated, may have occurred as a result of the Mid 8th century CE earthquake
Wall collapse	Room H of Harding (1951). Harding (1951:7) describes the area excavated as being located on the south side of the western, highest part of the citadel. Figure 1 Harding (1951)		Harding (1951:10-11) described wall collapse in Room H associated with a fragments of a sandstone fire altar which he presumed was on a shelf before the wall collapsed.
Column collapse Arch collapse	the portico and the architrave of the magnificent temple of Hercules Amman Citadel from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map		The columns of the portico and the architrave of the magnificent temple of Hercules, which is a building from the middle of the second century A.D., which was already being used as a quarry, were demolished by the earthquake. - Alamgro et al (2000)
Wall collapse Skeleton	Two Umayyad houses in the sector that Northedge denominated "C" Amman Citadel from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map		In the sector that Northedge denominated "C", the remains of two houses from the Umayyad period were discovered, together with the street which separated them. The westernmost one was so seriously affected by the seismic movement that it could only be partially reused in later periods. The easternmost dwelling showed similar signs of destruction to the previous one, and of a partial reoccupation after the disaster; the human skeleton of one of the victims was discovered here - Alamgro et al (2000)

Mid 8th century CE earthquake

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 Arches Roof collapse Wall collapse iwan destruction Debris	Building F Figure 1 General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel. Alamgro et al (2000)		The majority of the most fragile structures of Building F, particularly the series of arches in the courtyard, the entrance arches to the iwans and part of the roofing, were destroyed at some time near to their actual construction, because there is no previous evidence of the characteristic repairs to walls and, in particular, to paving, which is usually evidence of prolonged use of a building. The characteristics of the deep stratum of destruction affecting arches and columns give us some clues to understanding the ruin of this building. The level is composed exclusively of rubble among which it can easily be seen that the elements of construction have fallen in situ, and therefore they have not been brought from elsewhere. On the other hand, the fact that there is a lack of wind-deposited earth (soil erosion) and that there is an overwhelming presence of broken-up gypsum mortar between bricks and masonry shows that the collapse happened suddenly and so, consequently, we are not dealing with the effects of a slow process of destruction. There is no evidence of any charred remains to show that the cause might have been a fire or action of war. ... The depth of the stratum of destruction varies according to the different spaces, since some were abandoned, other cleared up wholly or partially, and it seems that in some rooms they did not even suffer the collapse of the covering. At any rate, it always coincides with the height at which the plastering materials covering the walls is conserved. In fact, this layer seems to have fallen off all those walls that were left uncovered after the earthquake, and it has only been conserved in the parts of the walls that were buried under the rubble. In practically all the excavated areas, the height at which the layer is conserved coincides with the accumulation of rubble on the Umayyad floor. ... A large part of the roofing, series of arches, and even the façades of the iwans collapsed, leaving huge quantities of rubble which in some parts reached a depth of more than one metre. - Alamgro et al (2000)	VIII +
Collapsed Arches Broken columns Wall collapse Debris	Courtyard of Building F Figure 1 General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel. Alamgro et al (2000)		This is the space which provides the clearest evidence of the effects of the earthquake. On the paving we can find an important amount of rubble reaching a height of more than 1 m in some areas, acting as a support for the columns and arches of the portico, broken and shattered on the floor of the palace. Among the building material, especially in the centre of the courtyard, a large number of square bricks were found, with remains of the characteristic lime mortar with ashes, identical to that of the walls they had been taken from. We are uncertain which part of the building these bricks were used in, although from their position among the collapsed rubble, and since there is no trace of them among the standing remains, we are inclined to think that they formed part of the construction over the series of arches of the courtyard, maybe a parapet. Bricks were hardly found in the perimeter corridor, between the series of arches and the walls, as they tended to fall towards the centre of the courtyard; however, a considerable number of yellowish limestone ashlars, cut in the shape of voussoirs were found, probably ones which formed part of the vaulting covering the portico. Remains of the plaster which covered the intrados were found on several of them. - Alamgro et al (2000)	VIII +
Broken Columns	Colonnaded Street between Buildings C and B to the east and D and E to the west Figure 1 General plan of the north part of the Amman citadel. Alamgro et al (2000)	Broken Columns at Colonnaded Street in Umayyad Palace Amman, Jordan Photo by Jefferson Williams	JW: These breaks, albeit undated, may have occurred as a result of the Mid 8th century CE earthquake	VIII +
Wall collapse	Room H of Harding (1951). Harding (1951:7) describes the area excavated as being located on the south side of the western, highest part of the citadel. Figure 1 Harding (1951)		Harding (1951:10-11) described wall collapse in Room H associated with a fragments of a sandstone fire altar which he presumed was on a shelf before the wall collapsed.	VIII +
Column collapse Arch collapse	the portico and the architrave of the magnificent temple of Hercules Amman Citadel from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map		The columns of the portico and the architrave of the magnificent temple of Hercules, which is a building from the middle of the second century A.D., which was already being used as a quarry, were demolished by the earthquake. - Alamgro et al (2000)	VIII +
Wall collapse Skeleton	Two Umayyad houses in the sector that Northedge denominated "C" Amman Citadel from maps-amman.com/amman-citadel-map		In the sector that Northedge denominated "C", the remains of two houses from the Umayyad period were discovered, together with the street which separated them. The westernmost one was so seriously affected by the seismic movement that it could only be partially reused in later periods. The easternmost dwelling showed similar signs of destruction to the previous one, and of a partial reoccupation after the disaster; the human skeleton of one of the victims was discovered here - Alamgro et al (2000)	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).

References

Articles and Books

Alamgro et al (2000) Excavation of Building F of the Umayyad Palace of Amman Preliminary Report ADAJ 44

Harding (1951) Excavations on the Citadel, Amman ADAJ 01

Excavation Reports

Northedge, A. and C. M. Bennett (1992). "Studies on Roman and Islamic `Amman : the excavations of Mrs. C-M Bennett and other investigations."

Almagro Gorbea, A. (1983). El palacio Omeya de Amman. Institution Hispano-Árabe de Cultura, Dir. General de Ralaciones Culturales.

Olávarri-Goicoechea, E. (1985). El Palacio omeya de Amman II: la Arquologia, Instituto Espanol Biblico y Arquelogico.

Almagro Gorbea, A. et al (2000). El Palacio Omeya de 'Ammān, III. Investigación arqueológica y restauración, 1989-1997 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)

Wikipedia pages

Amman Citadel in English

from wikipedia

Amman Citadel (in Spanish)

from wikipedia