QASR AL KHARRANAH

If the 'castles of the desert' have their origin in the Roman-Byzantine architecture, fortified or rural, as it existed in Syria before Islam, Qasr Kharranah is singled out by its specificities inherited from Sassanid Iran. It is thought to be one of the earliest known Umayyad monuments, built between 661 and 684, although an inscription above a doorway gives the date 710. Its imposing silhouette stands out in the middle of the desolate plain that surrounds it, quite different from the small Qasr that were built around Azraq. It is thought to have been more of a meeting place for the Bedouins, with no military purpose, as shown by its archways, which were only used for ventilation and ornamentation.

It is square and measures 35 m on each side. Its plan is typical of the Sassanids: a courtyard, surrounded on two levels by rooms arranged in living units. While Syrian castles are often larger, there are a number of buildings in Iraq that are close in scale to the Qasr Kharranah. Once through the entrance gate, one discovers, on either side of the courtyard, stables designed to accommodate camels. A small basin that was used to collect rainwater is located in the middle of the courtyard. Note the beautiful vaulted rooms at the top of the entrance gate and on the second floor, decorated with stucco mouldings and the saw-tooth pattern of the arches, which are found on many utilitarian potteries, both European and Islamic. The 'fleurs de lys' of some of the roundels in the rooms seem more unusual.