Al Qastal
Encyclopedia
Al Qastalis a town
in the Amman Governorate
of northern Jordan
. Originally established as an Umayyad
settlement, it remains the oldest and most complete such settlement in the Near East The remains of the minaret
at Qastal is especially important as it is the only one extant from the Umayyad period, making it one of the oldest minarets in the world. Qasr Al Qastal, also located within the town, is considered one of the desert castle
s and is just 5 km from Qasr Mshatta
.
and Ayyubid dynasties re-settled in Al Qastal, leaving behind a number of small buildings.
. The building was approximately 68 meters square. The outer wall of the palace had 12 semi-circular towers at intervals between four large corner towers. The ground floor comprised an entrance hall, courtyard, and six suites of rooms. The upper story contained another set of suites and the palace's audience hall which had a triple apse
design. The palace was originally decorated with carvings and mosaics that show similarity to mosaics found at Qasr al Hallabat
.
Near the palace there are two noteworthy places, a small, rectangular mosque
and a cemetery
. Attached to the mosque is one of the oldest minaret
s in the world, known as the Al Qastal Minaret. The tombs in the cemetery are noteworthy for being oriented facing Jerusalem, as opposed to Mecca
. Water for the palace came from a large stone dam, a reservoir
as well as over 70 small cisterns that had a combined capacity of over 2 million cubic meters of water.
Today the site lies in ruins and a portion of the palace has been covered by a modern house.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Amman Governorate
Amman Governorate
Officially known as Muhafazat al-Asima , Amman Governorate is one of the governorates - locally known as muhafazat - in Jordan. This governorate's capital is the City of Amman, It is also Jordan's capital...
of northern Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
. Originally established as an Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
settlement, it remains the oldest and most complete such settlement in the Near East The remains of the minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
at Qastal is especially important as it is the only one extant from the Umayyad period, making it one of the oldest minarets in the world. Qasr Al Qastal, also located within the town, is considered one of the desert castle
Desert castle
The Desert castles consist of a number of minor castles and fortresses scattered over the desert in eastern Jordan. Most of the remaining castles are situated east of the capital Amman.-History:...
s and is just 5 km from Qasr Mshatta
Qasr Mshatta
Qasr Mshatta is the ruin of an Umayyad winter palace probably commissioned by caliph Al-Walid II . The ruins are located approximately 30 km south of Amman, Jordan and are part of a string of castles, palaces and caravanserai known collectively in Jordan as the Desert Castles...
.
History
Textual evidence from the poet Kuthayyir Azza indicates that the complex at Al Qastal was originally built by Caliph Yazid bin Abd al-Malik. The fact that the complex at Al Qastal was finished, while the nearby Qasr Mshatta was never finished indicates that Al Qastal may be the oldest Umayyad construction in the area. Tombstones from Al Qastal indicates that after the fall of the Umayyads the site was used by the Abbasid Caliphate. When the Abbasid Caliphate fell there was a short period when the site was abandoned. later the MamelukeMameluke
Mameluke was an American Thoroughbred race horse. Bred and raced by Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, he was out of the mare, Schwester, and was sired by the 1936 Epsom Derby winner, Mahmoud who became the Leading sire in North America in 1946 and the Leading broodmare sire in North America in...
and Ayyubid dynasties re-settled in Al Qastal, leaving behind a number of small buildings.
Qasr Al Qastal
Qasr Al Qastal was an Umayyad palacePalace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
. The building was approximately 68 meters square. The outer wall of the palace had 12 semi-circular towers at intervals between four large corner towers. The ground floor comprised an entrance hall, courtyard, and six suites of rooms. The upper story contained another set of suites and the palace's audience hall which had a triple apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
design. The palace was originally decorated with carvings and mosaics that show similarity to mosaics found at Qasr al Hallabat
Qasr al Hallabat
Qasr al Hallabat is a town in the Amman Governorate of north-western Jordan. The town is named after the Umayyad castle located there. Also located in the town is the Qasr Hammam As Sarah. It is located north-east of the capital of Amman.-Castle:...
.
Near the palace there are two noteworthy places, a small, rectangular mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
and a cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
. Attached to the mosque is one of the oldest minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
s in the world, known as the Al Qastal Minaret. The tombs in the cemetery are noteworthy for being oriented facing Jerusalem, as opposed to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
. Water for the palace came from a large stone dam, a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
as well as over 70 small cisterns that had a combined capacity of over 2 million cubic meters of water.
Today the site lies in ruins and a portion of the palace has been covered by a modern house.