One of the grandest Umayyad desert complexes, built over a Roman fort on the edge of the desert.
Situated about 30 km from Zarqa and 55 km from Amman, Qasr Al-Hallabat is a remarkable testament to the cultural shifts that shaped the Near East. In one hilltop building you can follow six centuries: a small Roman fort, a Late Roman stronghold with four corner towers, a 6th-century palace and monastery, and finally an Umayyad palace with mosaics, carved plaster and a mosque.
Its walls hold another surprise. Black basalt blocks carved with a long Greek imperial edict were reused in the masonry, scattered at random, like pages torn from a law book and built into a wall.
Mosaics, a Greek edict in the walls and a mosque built to be seen
Each owner of Hallabat rebuilt it for a new purpose, and each left something behind: Roman walls, Byzantine inscriptions, Umayyad mosaics and plaster. Together they make it one of the best places in Jordan to see the change from Late Antiquity to the early Islamic world.
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01 · Mosaics
The animal mosaic
Mosaics
Umayyad floor mosaics fill interlaced circles with baskets, birds and a chalice with a fish, laid in small stone and glass cubes.
Look closely
The fish in the chalice and the birds in neighbouring circles.
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Room by room
What to see
Five stops around the hilltop: the fort walls, the palace rooms, the mosaics, the inscribed stones and, outside, the mosque and water system. Pick a stop to see what to look for.
Start outside and walk around the walls. The first fort, about 17.5 m square, was built in the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD in what is now the northern corner of the building. In the 4th century it was enlarged into a square fort about 38 m across with four corner towers, most probably under Diocletian.
Look for the mix of black basalt and pale limestone, and for straight joints where later builders added to older walls.
Roman fortCorner towersBasalt and limestoneVia Nova Traiana
Look for
The corner towers of the 4th-century fort
Straight joints between building phases
The view east over the desert the fort once watched
Dig deeperA fort on the Roman frontier
Hallabat was one of the forts along the Via Nova Traiana, the road Trajan built between AD 111 and 117 after annexing the province of Arabia in AD 106. The small first fort sat on top of an earlier Nabataean outpost.
After an earthquake in AD 551 damaged the already abandoned fort, it was rebuilt in the later 6th century as a palace and monastery with a chapel. The excavator, Ignacio Arce, links this phase to the Ghassanids, the Arab allies of Byzantium.
Inside, rooms with arched doorways and vaults surround the courtyards. In the late 7th and 8th centuries AD the Umayyads refurbished the palace with new mosaics, wall paintings and carved plaster, while the old monastery wing became storerooms and wine presses.
Reconstruction here was limited to parts with full evidence. New stones are marked by their sharp-edged carving, so you can tell the restored masonry from the original.
The palace is often attributed to Caliph Hisham or to al-Walid II, but the excavator names no caliph. What is clear is that the work belongs mainly to the period after Abd al-Malik’s reforms, and that the palace was destroyed and abandoned in AD 749.
A plaster frieze from the palace shows a camel, an oryx, a hound, a lion and a gazelle, the animals of the desert around it.
The Umayyad floors are laid in stone and glass cubes with animal, human, plant and geometric motifs. In the portico, interlaced circles hold baskets, birds and a chalice with a fish. The central room has a carpet of repeating diamonds.
Many of the floors are visible and easy to reach. Stay on the walkways and don’t step on the mosaics; more finds are shown in the site museum.
Glass and stone cubesAnimals and birdsGeometric carpetsUmayyad
Look for
The chalice with a fish
Birds and baskets in the circles
The diamond carpet of the central room
Dig deeperLost and saved
About 30 square metres of mosaic were stolen in the spring of 1990, a reminder of how vulnerable these floors are.
The Department of Antiquities cleared and excavated the site under Ghazi Bisheh in 1979–1984, and the Spanish mission led by Ignacio Arce excavated and restored it in 2002–2013, building the visitor centre and site museum.
Look closely at the black basalt blocks in the walls. More than 100 of them carry parts of a Greek edict of the Byzantine emperor Anastasius I (491–518), regulating the military administration of the Byzantine armies and their Arab allies in Arabia, Palestine and other provinces.
The blocks were probably brought from a nearby town and reused at random in the 6th-century rebuilding, so the text now runs sideways, upside down and out of order.
Anastasius IGreek edictReused basalt6th century
Look for
Greek letters on blocks set sideways or upside down
Carved crosses from the monastery phase
Decorated capitals and basins
Dig deeperA law book in the walls
The original edict ran to more than 300 lines in about 70 chapters. Scholars have pieced it together from the scattered blocks, and the count of inscribed fragments has grown with each study, from over 100 to about 160.
Because the edict dates from the reign of Anastasius (491–518), the rebuilding that reused its blocks must be later; the excavator places it after the earthquake of 551.
Just outside the palace, about 15 m away, stands a small rectangular mosque of layered limestone with three barrel vaults. A porch ran along three sides, and the mihrab survives in the south wall. Its inscriptions date it to the first Islamic century, and it was placed so it could be seen from afar.
Around the palace, look for the cisterns. With no springs, Hallabat depended on five cisterns, a large reservoir and channels that collected winter rain for a walled farm of about 270 × 220 m to the west.
Umayyad mosqueMihrabCisternsWalled farm
Look for
The mihrab in the mosque’s south wall
The cistern openings with their stone rims
The line of the farm enclosure to the west
Dig deeperThe oldest Islamic garden?
The Spanish mission reported what it described as the oldest preserved Islamic garden at Hallabat, part of an estate that used every drop of winter rain for olives, vines or other crops.
In 2007 the remains of six people were found in one of the cisterns, dated between AD 772 and 895, a sign that someone still came here after the Umayyads had gone.
A Roman fort, a Byzantine-era palace and monastery, then an Umayyad estate with a mosque, baths and gardens: Hallabat was rebuilt for each new power until an earthquake brought it down in AD 749.
Qasr Al-Hallabat stands on a low hill east of Zarqa, on the road towards Azraq. Hammam As-Sarah, its bathhouse, is just 3.5 km to the east, so plan to see both.
Good to know: the visitor centre and site museum are open, with free entry. They are about 200 m from the ruins, along a stony path; the museum holds about 150 finds from the site.
Entry ticketFreeFree for everyone at present (2026), including the museum
Time to visit40–50 minIncluding the mosque and museum
From Amman55 kmAbout an hour north-east via Zarqa
LocationHallabat, near Zarqa32.0929° N, 36.3281° EGet directions
Opening hours and prices checked October 2026. Spotted a change? Let us know
On site
What you’ll find at Qasr Al-Hallabat
Visitor centre
Ticket office
Toilets
Free parking
Museum
Viewpoint
Not on site: guide available, food & drinks, hotels, market / shop · Access: no 4x4 needed
When to go
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable. In spring the hills around the site turn green.
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BestGood, cooler or warmVery hot
Tip: start at the visitor centre and museum, so you know what to look for on the hill.
Before you go
Services are limited out in the desert.
Water and snacksShops in Hallabat village
Sun hat and sunscreenVery little shade outside
Comfortable shoesUneven, stony ground
Cash in Jordanian dinarsFor tickets and small purchases
Toilet paperBring your own, just in case
Common questions
Quick answers before you set off.
Is Qasr Al-Hallabat included in the Jordan Pass?
It is listed in the Jordan Pass, but at present (2026) entry is free for everyone, including the museum.
How far is Hammam As-Sarah?
About 3.5 km east, a few minutes by car. The bathhouse was part of the same Umayyad estate.
Can I see the mosaics?
Yes. Many mosaic floors are visible and accessible in place, and more finds are in the site museum. Stay on the walkways and don’t step on them.
Was it built by the Romans?
Its oldest part is a small Roman fort of the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD. It was enlarged in the 4th century and rebuilt as a palace in the 6th and again under the Umayyads.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes. Children usually enjoy the hilltop ruins and the museum. Watch for uneven ground and open cisterns.
What should I wear?
Comfortable, closed shoes for uneven ground, and light clothing that covers your shoulders and knees, which is respectful in rural Jordan and protects you from the sun.
Combine with
Hallabat is the first or last stop on a desert-castles day from Amman. Drive times are from Qasr Al-Hallabat.
Tour 1 Best of Desert Castles · Tour 2 Black Desert, Azraq Oasis & Desert Castles. Compare the tours
Private tours
Two private day tours that include Qasr Al-Hallabat
Both tours are just for you: your own vehicle and driver, hotel pickup in Amman, entry tickets included, and one fixed price for up to three travellers.
Private: only your group
Your own vehicle & driver
Hotel pick-up in Amman
Entry tickets included
from$150per group (1–3) · 105 JOD
Tour 1 · Full day · Private
Best of Desert Castles Private Full-Day Tour
Step into the fascinating world of the early Islamic period on this private full-day journey to Jordan’s remarkable Desert Castles. Scattered across the eastern desert, these mysterious complexes date largely to the 8th century and reflect the artistic and architectural brilliance of the Umayyad era.
Black Desert, Azraq Oasis & Desert Castles Full-Day Tour
Journey deep into Jordan’s eastern desert on this private full-day adventure that combines remarkable history with unique desert landscapes. Scattered across the region are the mysterious Umayyad Desert Castles—impressive complexes dating back to the 8th century that once served as palaces, caravan stations, and administrative centres during the early Islamic period.
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Early Islamic Period: Umayyad Complexes in the Eastern Desert
