Region
Eastern Desert
East of Amman, the limestone and basalt desert holds the Umayyad ‘desert castles’, Roman forts such as Qasr Azraq, the Byzantine town of Umm el-Jimal and Jawa, one of Jordan’s oldest towns. It is also home to the Azraq wetlands and the Shaumari reserve.
On the map
Where to find it
Each pin is a place — click it to see every page we have about it.
Everything we have
87 posts about this region
Travel guide
Azraq Wetland Reserve
Azraq, 100 km east of Amman
Travel guide
Hammam As-Sarah
<p>Eastern Desert, 56 km northeast of Amman</p>
Travel guide
Jawa
Eastern Desert, 130 km north-east of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Ain Es-Sil
Eastern Desert, 115 km east of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Al-Hallabat
Eastern Desert, 60 km northeast of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Al-Mushatta
30 km south of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Al-Muwaqqar
Eastern Desert, 20 km east of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Al-Qastal
20 km south of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Amra
Eastern Desert, 75 km east of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Azraq
<p>Azraq, 100 km east of Amman</p>
Travel guide
Qasr Burqu
Eastern Desert, 300 km northeast of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Deir Al-Kahf
Eastern Desert, 140 km northeast of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Kharana
<p>Eastern Desert, 60 km east of Amman</p>
Travel guide
Qasr Mshash
Eastern Desert, 40 km east of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Tuba
Eastern Desert, 125 km southeast of Amman
Travel guide
Qasr Usaykhim
Eastern Desert, 22 km north of Azraq
Travel guide
Qasr Uweinid
Eastern Desert, 15 km southwest of Azraq
Travel guide
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve
20 km south of Azraq, 115 km east of Amman
UNESCO Tentative List
Profile
Azraq Wetland Reserve
1 hr
Jordan Pass
Profile
Hammam As-Sarah
Umayyad Period30 min
Profile
Jawa
Bronze Age1 hr
Profile
Qal’at Zizia
Ottoman Period30 min
Profile
Qasr Ain Es-Sil
Umayyad Period30 min
Profile
Qasr Al-Hallabat
Roman Period · Byzantine Period +140 min
Profile
Qasr Al-Jilat
Neolithic Age15 min
UNESCO Tentative ListJordan Pass
Profile
Qasr Al-Mushatta
Umayyad Period40 min
Profile
Qasr Al-Muwaqqar
Umayyad Period15 min
UNESCO Tentative List
Profile
Qasr Al-Qastal
Umayyad Period30 min
UNESCO World HeritageJordan Pass
Profile
Qasr Amra
Umayyad Period40 min
Jordan Pass
Profile
Qasr Azraq
Roman Period · Crusader and Ayyubid Period +140 min
Profile
Qasr Burqu
Roman Period · Byzantine Period +140 min
Profile
Qasr Deir Al-Kahf
Roman Period · Byzantine Period +130 min
Profile
Qasr Deir Al-Kinn
Roman Period30 min
Jordan Pass
Profile
Qasr Kharana
Umayyad Period30 min
Profile
Qasr Mshash
Roman Period · Umayyad Period30 min
Profile
Qasr Tuba
Umayyad Period40 min
Profile
Qasr Usaykhim
Roman Period · Byzantine Period30 min
Profile
Qasr Uweinid
Roman Period30 min
Profile
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve
1 hr
UNESCO World HeritageJordan Pass
Profile
Umm el-Jimal
Nabataean Kingdom · Roman Period +22 hr
Tour
Best of Desert Castles Private Full-Day Tour
7–8 hrfrom $150
Tour
Black Desert, Azraq Oasis & Desert Castles Full-Day Tour
7–8 hrfrom $170
Tour
Expedition to JAWA and Umm El-Jimal
7–8 hrfrom $250
360°
360° photo
Ancient City of Jawa: 360° Panorama
Jawa
360°
360° photo
Azraq Wetland Reserve: 360° Panorama
Azraq Wetland Reserve
360°
360° photo
Hammam as-Sarah – Architectural Highlights: 360° Panorama
Hammam As-Sarah
360°
360° photo
Hammam as-Sarah: 360° Panorama
Hammam As-Sarah
360°
360° photo
Interior of Qasr Al-Hallabat Mosque in 360°
Mosque, Qasr Al-Hallabat
360°
360° photo
Qasr Ain Es-Sil: 360° Panorama
Qasr Ain Es-Sil
360°
360° photo
Qasr Al-Hallabat: 360° Panorama
Qasr Al-Hallabat
360°
360° photo
Qasr Al-Mushatta: 360° Panorama
Qasr Al-Mushatta
360°
360° photo
Qasr Al-Qastal: 360° Panorama
Qasr Al-Qastal
360°
360° photo
Qasr Amra’s Frescoes: 360° Panorama
Qasr Amra
360°
360° photo
Qasr Azraq Architectural Features: 360° Panorama
Qasr Azraq
360°
360° photo
Qasr Burqu: 360° Panorama
Qasr Burqu
360°
360° photo
Qasr Deir Al-Kahf: 360° Panorama
Qasr Deir Al-Kahf
360°
360° photo
Qasr Deir Al-Kinn: 360° Panorama
Qasr Deir Al-Kinn
360°
360° photo
Qasr Kharana – Courtyard: 360° Panorama
Qasr Kharana
360°
360° photo
Qasr Mshash: 360° Panorama
Qasr Mshash
360°
360° photo
Qasr Tuba: 360° Panorama
Qasr Tuba
360°
360° photo
Qasr Usaykhim: 360° Panorama
Qasr Usaykhim
360°
360° photo
Qasr Uweinid: 360° Panorama
Qasr Uweinid
360°
360° photo
Umayyad Mosque of Qasr Al-Hallabat: 360° Panorama
Mosque, Qasr Al-Hallabat
360°
360° photo
Umm el-Jimal Basalt Architecture: 360° Panorama
Umm el-Jimal
360°
360° photo
Umm el-Jimal, West Tower: 360° Panorama
West Tower, Umm el-Jimal
360°
360° photo
What to See Inside Qasr Tuba: 360° Panorama
Qasr Tuba
3D
3D walk-through
Hammam As-Sarah – 3D Virtual Walk-through
Hammam As-Sarah, Eastern Desert9 stops
3D
3D walk-through
Qasr Amra – 3D Virtual Walk-through
Qasr Amra, Eastern Desert10 stops
Photo album
Azraq Wetland Reserve: A Desert Oasis in Photos
Azraq Wetland Reserve, Eastern Desert28 photos
Photo album
Hammam As-Sarah: The Umayyad Bathhouse in Photos
Hammam As-Sarah, Eastern Desert29 photos
Photo album
Jawa: A Town of the Black Desert in Photos
Jawa, Eastern Desert41 photos
Photo album
Qasr Ain Es-Sil: An Umayyad Farmhouse in Photos
Qasr Ain Es-Sil, Eastern Desert15 photos
Photo album
Qasr Al-Hallabat: From Roman Fort to Umayyad Palace in Photos
Qasr Al-Hallabat, Eastern Desert38 photos
Photo album
Qasr Al-Mushatta: The Unfinished Winter Palace in Photos
Qasr Al-Mushatta, Eastern Desert44 photos
Photo album
Qasr Al-Muwaqqar: Yazid II’s Palace and Reservoir in Photos
Qasr Al-Muwaqqar, Eastern Desert17 photos
Photo album
Qasr Al-Qastal: An Early Umayyad Palace in Photos
Qasr Al-Qastal, Eastern Desert32 photos
Photo album
Qasr Amra: The Painted Bathhouse in Photos
Qasr Amra, Eastern Desert66 photos
Photo album
Qasr Azraq: The Black Basalt Fortress in Photos
Qasr Azraq, Eastern Desert37 photos
Photo album
Qasr Burqu: A Desert Tower by the Lake in Photos
Qasr Burqu, Eastern Desert15 photos
Photo album
Qasr Deir Al-Kahf: A Basalt Fort in Photos
Qasr Deir Al-Kahf, Eastern Desert16 photos
Photo album
Qasr Kharana: The Desert Castle in Photos
Qasr Kharana, Eastern Desert41 photos
Photo album
Qasr Mshash: An Umayyad Caravan Halt in Photos
Qasr Mshash, Eastern Desert38 photos
Photo album
Qasr Tuba: The Brick Palace in the Desert in Photos
Qasr Tuba, Eastern Desert32 photos
Photo album
Qasr Usaykhim: A Roman Hilltop Fort in Photos
Qasr Usaykhim, Eastern Desert28 photos
Photo album
Qasr Uweinid: A Roman Fort near Azraq in Photos
Qasr Uweinid, Eastern Desert58 photos
Photo album
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve: Home of the Arabian Oryx in Photos
Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, Eastern Desert17 photos
Video
1300 Years Ago – The ‘Forbidden’ Paintings of the Desert Castle
Qasr Amra, Eastern Desert5:06 From page to place
See these sites with a private guide
Tell us which sites in Eastern Desert caught your eye and we’ll plan a private day around them, with door-to-door transport from Amman.
