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Azraq (Jordan)
Encyclopedia
Azraq is a small town
in the province of Zarqa Governorate
in central-eastern Jordan
, 100 km east of Amman
. The population of Azraq was 9021 persons in 2004.
Azraq has long been an important settlement in a remote and now-arid desert area of Jordan. The strategic value of the town and its castle (Qasr Azraq
) is that it lies in the middle of the Azraq oasis, the only permanent source of fresh water in approximately 12,000 square kilometres of desert.
The town is located on a major desert route that would have facilitated trade within the region. The Azraq oasis has a long history beginning in the Lower Palaeolithic period. Many Palaeolithic sites have been documented in the Azraq Wetlands Reserve
. During the Epipalaeolithic period the oasis was also an important focus of settlement. Nabatean period settlement activity has also been documented in the area. Qasr Azraq
was built by the Romans in the 3rd century A.D., and was heavily modified in the Middle Ages by the Mameluks. In the Umayyad
period a water reservoir was constructed in southern Azraq. During the Arab Revolt
in the early 20th century, Qasr Azraq was an important headquarters for T. E. Lawrence
.
The area near the Azraq Oasis is set with hundreds of geoglyphs
, large wheel-shaped structures made of stone that date back at least 2,000 years. These structures are often found on lava fields and range from 82 feet to 230 feet (25 meters to 70 meters) across. Archaeologists used to believe that the Azraq Oasis wheels were used as a cemetery, although that is now in doubt.
Azraq is also notable as being the site of one of Jordan's seven protected nature reserve areas (setup by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
): the Azraq Wetlands Reserve in Azraq al-Janoubi (South Azraq).
The separate and larger Shaumari
reserve is also close to Azraq, being only 10 km south of the town.
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 province of Zarqa Governorate
Zarqa Governorate
Zarqa Governorate is the third largest governorate in Jordan by population. The capital of Zarqa governorate is Zarqa City, which is the largest city in the governorate. It is located 25 km east of the Jordanian capital Amman...
in central-eastern 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...
, 100 km east of Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
. The population of Azraq was 9021 persons in 2004.
History
Qasr Azraq
Qasr al-Azraq is a large fortress located in present-day eastern Jordan. It is one of the desert castles, located on the outskirts of present-day Azraq, roughly east of Amman....
) is that it lies in the middle of the Azraq oasis, the only permanent source of fresh water in approximately 12,000 square kilometres of desert.
The town is located on a major desert route that would have facilitated trade within the region. The Azraq oasis has a long history beginning in the Lower Palaeolithic period. Many Palaeolithic sites have been documented in the Azraq Wetlands Reserve
Azraq Wetlands Reserve
The Azraq Wetland Reserve is a nature reserve located near the town of Azraq in the eastern desert of Jordan. An oasis for migratory birds, Azraq was established in 1978 and covers . The natural springs dried up in 1992 and most migratory birds subsequently moved away from the area...
. During the Epipalaeolithic period the oasis was also an important focus of settlement. Nabatean period settlement activity has also been documented in the area. Qasr Azraq
Qasr Azraq
Qasr al-Azraq is a large fortress located in present-day eastern Jordan. It is one of the desert castles, located on the outskirts of present-day Azraq, roughly east of Amman....
was built by the Romans in the 3rd century A.D., and was heavily modified in the Middle Ages by the Mameluks. In the 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...
period a water reservoir was constructed in southern Azraq. During the Arab Revolt
Arab Revolt
The Arab Revolt was initiated by the Sherif Hussein bin Ali with the aim of securing independence from the ruling Ottoman Turks and creating a single unified Arab state spanning from Aleppo in Syria to Aden in Yemen.- Background :...
in the early 20th century, Qasr Azraq was an important headquarters for T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
.
The area near the Azraq Oasis is set with hundreds of geoglyphs
Geoglyph
A geoglyph is a large design or motif produced on the ground and typically formed by clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the geography, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth...
, large wheel-shaped structures made of stone that date back at least 2,000 years. These structures are often found on lava fields and range from 82 feet to 230 feet (25 meters to 70 meters) across. Archaeologists used to believe that the Azraq Oasis wheels were used as a cemetery, although that is now in doubt.
Demographics
According to the Jordan National Census of 2004, the population of Azraq was 9,021 persons, of whom 7,625 (84.5%) were Jordanian citizens. 4,988 (55.3%) were males, and 4,033 (44.7%) females. The next census is scheduled for 2014.Wildlife reserve
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
The Royal Society for The Conservation of Nature is an independent voluntary organization devoted to the conservation of Jordan's natural resources established in 1966 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor with the late King Hussein as Honorary President.RSCN has the mission of protecting...
): the Azraq Wetlands Reserve in Azraq al-Janoubi (South Azraq).
The separate and larger Shaumari
Shaumari (Jordan)
The Shaumari Wildlife Reserve is a Jordanian nature reserve near the town of Azraq, approximately 100 km east of Amman.It is a regionally important reserve created in 1975 by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature as a breeding center for endangered or locally extinct wildlife...
reserve is also close to Azraq, being only 10 km south of the town.