Qasr al-Mshatta

File / Documentation

Name

148367_sv.jpg

Size

2.12 MB

Format

JPEG

Checksum (MD5)

2a00f2c7d95f1daba6a84b867fd5f2a1

Creator(s)

patron: Caliph Walid ibn Yazid (Islamic, ruled 743-744)

Location

Site: near Amman (Jordan)

Cultural context

Islamic

Jordanian

Description

As one of the largest and most impressive of the Umayyad palaces, the unfinished, tawny-toned limestone and brick complex at Qasr al-Mshatta includes an entrance hall, mosque, an audience hall, and residential quarters. It is located in the Jordan desert approximately 32 kilometers south of Amman, a short distance from the Queen Alia International Airport.
A product of the late Umayyad period, it is speculated by several scholars that the Umayyad caliph al-Walid II built Mshatta during his brief reign (743-44) in an effort to commemorate his authority. Construction concluded in 744 when he was assassinated. Massive in size-at 144 sq. meters-it provided accommodation for a large group of people for ceremonial performances and lodging. Byzantine and Sassanian influence is evident in the stone and brickwork, and its plan and design.
Source: Archnet

exterior, view showing main elevation with entrance, 1992

Work type

Palace

Medium

brick

stone

Keywords