Qasr el-ʿAl is an archaeological site located in central Jordan, notable for its strategic significance and historical depth. The site features a rectangular enclosure measuring approximately 60 by 68 meters, with walls averaging 1.5 meters in thickness. Dominating the complex is a substantial tower, measuring 16 by 20 meters, constructed in a megalithic style. This tower’s walls, in certain sections, still stand between four to six meters high, underscoring the site’s historical prominence. Additionally, a Nabataean inscription has been documented on the tower’s north wall, indicating the site’s use during the Nabataean period.  

Archaeological findings at Qasr el-ʿAl include ceramics from the Iron Age, Nabataean, and early Byzantine periods, suggesting a continuum of occupation and utilisation. The presence of water management features, such as cisterns and rock-cut caves southeast of the site, highlights the inhabitants’ adaptation to the arid environment. While the site’s exact role within the Roman frontier system, known as the Limes Arabicus, remains a subject of scholarly discussion, its strategic location and architectural features point to its importance in regional defence and trade networks.