Early Islamic Period

Following the Muslim conquest in the 630s, Jordan came under Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid rule. Later control varied across the region before the Crusader expansion in the early 12th century. The Umayyad desert castles are its best-known monuments; here you’ll also find the early Islamic town of Ayla at Aqaba and churches such as Umm ar-Rasas, still in use under Islamic rule.