Qasr Amra: The Painted Bathhouse in Photos

By Alex
Updated September 28, 2025

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The frescoes of Qasr Amra are among the most remarkable surviving examples of early Islamic art, covering almost every wall and vault of this small Umayyad bathhouse, built in the first half of the 8th century AD in Jordan’s eastern desert. This album follows a visit from the outside in: the desert setting and vaulted roofs, the reception hall with its hunting scenes, craftsmen and the Six Kings, the changing, warm and hot rooms of the bath with the zodiac dome, and the well house that supplied its water.

In this album

66 photos of Qasr Amra

Tap a photo to open it full size

The Bathing Scene fresco: a woman in a blue pool framed by an arcade of columns, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 01The Bathing Scene

Qasr Amra on the horizon behind a desert shrub, Jordan — 02Behind a Desert Shrub

Qasr Amra seen past a dry desert shrub, Jordan — 03A Dry Desert Shrub

Qasr Amra in the open desert under a blue sky, Jordan — 04Under a Blue Sky

Distant view of Qasr Amra in the flat desert landscape, Jordan — 05A Distant View

The path leading to Qasr Amra under an evening sky, Jordan — 06The Path to Qasr Amra

Qasr Amra under streaks of cloud at sunset, Jordan — 07Clouds at Sunset

Qasr Amra small on the horizon of the eastern desert at dusk, Jordan — 08Dusk over the Eastern Desert

The well house and its restored water-lifting wheel, with the vaulted roofs of Qasr Amra behind, Jordan — 09The Well House and the Vaulted Roofs

Ruined walls in front of the well house and the vaulted roofs of Qasr Amra, Jordan — 10Ruins Before the Well House

The plain outer wall of the reception hall, with the well house in the distance, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 11The Reception Hall’s Outer Wall

The rounded rear walls and domed roof of the bath house, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 12The Bath House from Behind

Qasr Amra seen across the open desert, Jordan — 13Across the Open Desert

The vaulted roofs and outer walls of Qasr Amra rising from the desert, Jordan — 14Vaulted Roofs in the Desert

The service area behind the bath house, where firewood was stored for the furnace, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 15The Service Area

Stone walls of the service area where firewood was kept, with access down to the bath furnace, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 16The Firewood Store

Inside the service area: a roofless room with an arched opening leading down to the bath furnace, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 17Down to the Bath Furnace

The water-lifting frame at the well house, with the water tank to the right of the well, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 18The Well and Water Tank

The entrance front with three barrel-vaulted roofs and a black basalt door frame, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 19The Entrance Front

The main entrance of Qasr Amra seen at an angle, Jordan — 20The Main Entrance

Outer wall and the well-house frame in low evening light, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 21Evening Light on the Well House

The entrance doorway with its black basalt lintel and wooden doors, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 22The Basalt Doorway

The reception hall with its barrel vaults, entrance and visitor walkway, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 23The Reception Hall

Arches of the reception hall with faded frescoes and the visitor walkway, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 24Arches of the Reception Hall

View along an aisle of the reception hall between its arches, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 25Along the Aisle

Painted vault of the reception hall with small windows and fresco panels, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 26The Painted Vault

Frescoed arch and vault in the reception hall, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 27A Frescoed Arch

Arches and vaults of the reception hall covered with faded paintings, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 28Vaults Covered in Paintings

Painted arch in the reception hall lit by small windows, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 29Light Through Small Windows

Faded painted wall of the reception hall with figure scenes, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 30Figure Scenes on the Wall

The Athletes fresco: men stripped for exercise and wrestling in pairs, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 31The Athletes

Hunting Scene fresco: onagers chased by riders and saluki dogs towards nets, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 32The Hunting Scene

The Six Kings fresco: rulers labelled in Greek and Arabic beside the bathing scene, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 33The Six Kings

Frescoed arches and walls of the audience hall painted in blue and ochre, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 34Painted arches of the audience hall

The Dancing Woman fresco, a dancer in swirling drapery on an arch, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 35The Dancing Woman

The Marine Scene fresco: a woman swimming beside fishermen, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 36The Marine Scene

Craftsmen and Builders fresco: a vault grid of workers with their tools, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 37The Craftsmen & Builders

The Butchering Scene fresco: hunters skinning captured onagers, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 38The Butchering Scene

The Enclosure Hunt fresco: onagers driven by dogs into a net enclosure, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 39The Enclosure Hunt

The Enthroned Prince fresco: a ruler under a canopy in the throne alcove, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 40The Enthroned Prince

Dark frescoed arch of the audience hall with figures in painted niches, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 41Figures in painted niches

Faded frescoed alcove with painted figures in the audience hall, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 42A frescoed alcove

The changing-room vault painted with a lattice of figures above a lunette scene, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 43The Changing-Room Vault

The domed hot room of the bath house with arched recesses and small windows, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 44The Domed Hot Room

A small frescoed room of the bath house lit by a narrow window, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 45A Small Frescoed Room

The painted dome of the hot room seen from below, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 46The Hot Room Dome from Below

The Water Pourer fresco in the warm room: a woman pouring water over another figure’s head, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 47The Water Pourer

Bathing Women and Child fresco on the warm room’s south wall: three women, one holding a child, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 48Bathing Women and Child

Hypocaust pillars that carried the heated floor of the bath house, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 49The Hypocaust

Dark vault of the bath house pierced by small skylights, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 50Skylights in the Vault

Dark vault and arch of the bath house lit by small windows, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 51A Dark Vault and Arch

Fresco of a man and woman on either side of the changing room window, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 52Man and Woman Beside a Window

Changing room vault lattice with the Bear with a Lute and a clapping monkey, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 53The Bear with a Lute

Dionysus, Ariadne and Eros fresco: Dionysus finds Ariadne asleep, with a winged Eros, in the changing room, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 54Dionysus, Ariadne and Eros

The Dancers fresco: a dancer beside a flute player in the vault lattice, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 55The Dancers

Three Ages of Man fresco: bust of a woman between bunches of grapes, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 56The Three Ages of Man: the woman

Three Ages of Man fresco: bust of a young man holding a staff, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 57The Three Ages of Man: youth

Three Ages of Man fresco: bust of a bearded old man, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 58The Three Ages of Man: old age

Bathing Women and Child fresco on the warm room's south wall, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 59Bathing Women and Child

The Water Pourer fresco: a woman pouring water over a bather's head, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 60The Water Pourer

Bathing the Infant fresco: a woman passing a baby beside a washbasin, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 61Bathing the Infant

The Painted Garden: Plants and trees on the warm room's cross vault, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 62The Painted Garden

The Zodiac Dome over the hot room, painted with constellations and zodiac signs, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 63The Zodiac Dome

The well house with its restored saqiya water wheel, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 64The Saqiya Water Wheel

Looking down the stone-lined shaft of the well, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 65Down the Well Shaft

The restored saqiya wheel above the well, Qasr Amra, Jordan — 66The Wheel Above the Well

About this album

Site

Qasr Amra, Eastern Desert

Region

Eastern Desert

Period

Theme

Coordinates

31.8021° N, 36.5873° E

Photos

66 photos

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Qasr Amra

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