Qasr Azraq

Qasr al-Azraq
Azraq, Jordan
Main entrance from inside
Qasr al-Azraq Location within Jordan
Coordinates	31°52′49″N 36°49′39″E / 31.8802°N 36.8275°E / 31.8802; 36.8275
Type	fortress
Site information
Owner	Jordanian Ministry of Antiquities
Controlled by	Jordanian Ministry of Tourism
Open to the public	yes
Condition	partially ruined
Site history
Built	early 4th century, rebuilt 1237 CE
Built by	Romans
In use	Roman Period, Umayyad Period, 13th–16th century, 1917–18
Materials	Basalt
Garrison information
Past commanders	T.E. Lawrence

Qasr al-Azraq (Arabic: قصر الأزرق‎‎, "Blue Fortress") is a large fortress located in present-day eastern Jordan. It is one of the desert castles, located on the outskirts of present-day Azraq, roughly 100 km (62 mi) east of Amman.

Its strategic value came from the nearby oasis, the only water source in a vast desert region. The name of the fortress and associated town came from these. The settlement was known in antiquity as Basie and the Romans were the first to make military use of the site, and later an early mosque was built in the middle. It did not assume its present form until an extensive renovation and expansion by the Ayyubids in the 13th century, using locally quarried basalt which makes the castle darker than most other buildings in the area.

Later, it would be used by the Ottoman armies during that empire's hegemony over the region. During the Arab Revolt, T.E. Lawrence based his operations here in 1917–18, an experience he wrote about in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The connection to "Lawrence of Arabia" has been one of the castle's major draws for tourists.

The castle is constructed of the local black basalt and is a square structure with 80 metre long walls encircling a large central courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a small mosque that may date from Umayyad times. At each corner of the outer wall, there is an oblong tower. The main entrance is composed of a single massive hinged slab of granite, which leads to a vestibule where one can see carved into the pavement the remains of a Roman board game.

Although very heavy — 1 ton for each of the leaves of the main gate, 3 tons for single the other — these stone doors can quite easily be moved, thanks to palm tree oil. The unusual choice of stone can be explained by the fact that there is no close source of wood, apart from palm tree wood, which is very soft and unsuitable for building.