QASR AL-AZRAQ

The present castle, made of large blocks of black basalt, was built by the Ayyubids in the 13th century. The site had previously housed Roman garrisons (between 286 and 305) and then Byzantine garrisons, as evidenced by inscriptions here and there. Built on a quadrangular plan, this fortress controlled the Wadi Sirham valley on the trade route between Arabia and Syria, where caravans loaded with goods flowed. The fortress originally had three floors but was largely destroyed by the 1927 earthquake. The fort served as the headquarters of Sherif Hussein of Mecca and Lawrence of Arabia's troops during the Great Revolt. It was from Azraq that the Sheriff undertook his final assault on the city of Damascus, which marked the defeat of the Turks and the end of the First World War in the Middle East.

The tower through which one enters the fortress has several inscriptions in Latin, Greek and Arabic. The room above the southern entrance was that of T.E. Lawrence. The west gate still has its heavy basalt leaves (over 3 tons each) which are still in use. This type of gate is a legacy from Roman times and was frequently used throughout the Byzantine period. In the centre of the fort, the 13th-century mosque, facing Mecca, was built by the Ayyubids, the dynasty founded by Saladin, on the ruins of a Byzantine church. Its fine columns are noteworthy.