Qusayr Amra: Desert Castle with Unique Frescoes
A famous desert castle Qusayr Amra, sometimes also named Qasr Amra or Quseir Amra, is a UNESCO site in the northeastern part of Jordan. With its unique frescoes, stunning murals, and paintings, this will be one of the highlights of your trip to Desert Castle Loop from Amman. Includes tips on how to get there, what to expect, and where to stay.
Qusayr Amra is a Unesco World Heritage site, and one of the best stops on Desert Castle Loop. When looking for information about this desert castle, you will find Qusayr Amra sometimes referred to as Quseir Amra or Qasr Amra.
This is an 8th-century desert castle in Jordan with authentic frescoes, and beautiful paintings. Even after 1300 years, this structure houses a stunning set of very well-preserved frescoes, which beautifully decorate the dim interior of this desert castle.
Speaking of which, Qusayr Amra is not a proper desert castle as you would probably imagine under this phrase.
There are three distinct desert castles along the way, that together create the famous Desert Castles Loop.
Located at the only freshwater source in the whole desert, Azraq Castle is a proper fortress that is known to the Western World for its connection to T.E. Lawrence.
Another ruin along the way, Qasr Kharana was probably an ancient inn, but the true origin of this castle is yet waiting to be revealed.
And finally, Qusayr Amra used to be a royal retreat, a place of peace one could say.
This castle complex was way bigger than it's today however, there is not much left, and the baths decorated with frescoes together with the well are the only well-preserved structures from the old days.
For us, the big variety and differences between these castles was definitely a huge factor in deciding whether Desert Castle Loop is worth including in our Jordan travel itinerary.
Simply put, there is a reason why Qusayr Amra is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
TRIP TO QUSAYR AMRA
When we arrived at Qusayr Amra, it was steadily raining. It was also pretty late. The thing about traveling around Jordan in the off-season is that many sites and top attractions close at 4 PM. And when we arrived on a rainy day even before 4 PM, the site looked completely deserted.
However, there was still a local caretaker, though he was looking as he was about to go home and our late arrival didn't make him happy. Nevertheless, he lent us keys to the main door and even opened for us a small yet highly informative museum.
Allow yourself at least 10-15 minutes just for the museum, as the panels hold a lot of information.
For a small tip, you can also ask for a short guided tour.
Also consider purchasing Jordan guidebook that will help you learn more about other desert castles along the way.
One of the nice details, that we really appreciate is the effort Jordan tourism board puts into creating and translating (into English) these detailed informative panels.
Although there are still some sites that don't have any information boards such as Mukawir on the King’s Highway, those places that have them are way more accessible for travelers who like to enjoy tourist sites independently while having access to a lot of information.
With a request 'lock the door when you are done' from the caretaker still ringing in our ears, we made our way towards the desert castle itself.
You need to walk for a couple of minutes from the entrance to the castle on a newly built walkway, but it's a very short walk.
When we unlocked the castle, we needed to adjust our eyes to the dimness of this place. It's good to read something about history and the frescoes before you enter the castle to fully appreciate this place. The interior of the castle is very small, and the visit doesn't require much time.
As we were about to leave, a couple of tourists with a guide arrived, so we handed them the keys and left them with the same instructions we were given by the caretaker.
As we had not much time left to get to Qasr Kharana on time, we hurried back to the entrance, told the guy that we left the keys with the other group, and sped up to the next castle.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM QUSAYR AMRA
Firstly, Qusayr Amra is the smallest of the three desert castles you will see on the Desert Castle Loop.
To be honest, the exterior of this castle is unassuming from the outside, and you might start to wonder if this little structure was worth a trip from Amman.
Believe us, Qusayr Amra is definitely worth a visit.
Furthermore, even though the humble Qusayr Amra's exteriors were beautifully restored, the highlight of the visit to this castle lies inside.
And what the frescoes inside the Qusayr Amra represent? There are many scenes of daily life, hunting scenes, animals, dancing scenes, working craftsmen, figures of zodiac, and all sorts of symbols.
Finally, this site requires a little bit of effort from your side. If you are coming from Europe, you might be quite familiar with frescoes and paintings, and this little UNESCO site in Jordan might seem to you as a disappointment.
Especially if you recently have been to countries known for frescoes such as Italy or Bulgaria.
Just take a moment, step outside and look around. You are standing deep in the desert almost 100 kilometers east of Amman, and there is a building with frescoes on the ceiling. In the middle of nowhere. Now that must mean something.
Although the site was known to local nomad tribes, one of the most interesting facts, that we found out about Qusayr Amra is that this site was discovered by a Czech scholar and explorer Alois Musil in 1898, who introduced it to the Western world.
And if you are looking for the most famous fresco in Qusayr Amra, then look to the right when you enter the structure.
It's called Painting of the Six Kings, was made between 710 and 750 AD by the artist of Umayyad caliph, and you need to look really hard to spot it, as it's badly damaged.
As you can clearly see at our picture down below.
QUSAYR AMRA ENTRANCE FEE
Qusayr Amra is included in the Jordan Pass. If you don't have Jordan Pass, the entrance fee to Qusayr Amra is 1 JD.
Qusayr Amra's opening hours are 8 AM to 6 PM from May to September, during the winter, which lasts from October to April the site closes at 4 PM.
HOT TO GET TO QUSAYR AMRA
Qusayr Amra is a popular day trip from Amman that lies on al-Azraq Highway 40 between Qasr Kharana and Qasr Azraq, approximately 85 kilometers east of Amman.
This is an old and forgotten road full of potholes and uneven surfaces. From there, it's another 115 kilometers back to Amman via the Zarqa Highway, plus you need to add 30 kilometers to get to Azraq Castle, which lies a little bit outside the loop.
Zarqa Highway 30 is a modern highway that connects Amman with Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
We highly recommend you to rent a car for getting around Jordan.
For more information, red this post on driving in Jordan.
If you don't want to drive in a foreign country with somewhat random road rules, consider taking a tour.
This Half-Day Tour to Umayyad Desert Castles from Amman will allow you to safely explore all must-visit Desert Castles with a private guide.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
WHERE TO STAY
There are actually very few places to stay on the Desert Castle Loop.
In our opinion, it's better to visit desert castles on a day trip from either Amman or cities near the capital such as Jerash or Madaba.
As we have already mentioned, we stayed in Jerash, visited the ruins in the morning, drove around the Castle Loop in the afternoon, and then arrived in Amman, where we spent the night in a lovely small hotel near the city center.
Both hotels were really good for the price, so we've included them in the list of best hotels for Desert Castle Loop.
Check out our favorite picks for the best hotels when traveling to this part of Jordan.
Azraq | Azraq Oasis - Azraq is not exciting city, and there is not much to do except for the Azraq Castle. This private villa allows you to stay as close as possible to the desert castles. Azraq Oasis offers comfortable and clean rooms, lovely staff, an outdoor pool, a great breakfast, and a beautiful garden. Probably the best place to get away from the crowds.
Amman | Gallery Guest House - We stayed in this hotel for a couple of days, and really enjoyed clean, air-conditioned, and quiet rooms, lovely breakfast, and helpful staff. This hotel is located a walking distance to Amman Citadel, super popular Hashem Restaurant, or Rainbow Street. Great value for money. Free parking on the street in front of the hotel.
Jerash | Full Panorama To Archaeological Site Jerash - Family guesthouse located in a quiet residential area with nice modern rooms, welcoming host, and great location next to Jerash Ruins. Parking is available on the street in front of the hotel.
Madaba | Mosaic City Hotel - Great location, friendly atmosphere, tasty breakfast, and helpful staff are the main features in this hotel. It is worth it to ask for a room with a balcony facing the garden.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
