Jordan · 8th century
Qasr al-Harrana (Arabic: قصر الحرَّانة), sometimes Qasr Harrana, Qasr al-Haranah, Haraneh, Hraneh, Harana, Qasr al-Kharana or Khauranee, is one of the best-known of the desert castles located in present-day eastern Jordan, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) east of Amman and relatively close to the border with Saudi Arabia. It is uncertain when the palace was constructed, but it likely originates from the Umayyad Dynasty. An inscription on an upper wall dates the building to before 710 CE. A Greek or Byzantine house may have existed on the site. The purpose of the building is a subject of debate among scholars. Theories as to the qasr's purpose include a Crusader's castle, a military stronghold, agricultural outpost, and resting place for caravan travelers. The current scholarly consensus is that the building was used as for meeting between local Bedouin leaders.
Text adapted from “Qasr Kharana” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Qasr Kharana ranks #1,357 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #7 of the 23 mapped in Jordan. Founded c. 725, it is older than 95% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 48 atlas entries founded in the 8th century. Its Wikipedia articles were opened 2,138 times in the last 60 days, more than 71% of the atlas. 1 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Amman, 55 km away. It is one of the 106 landmarks on the atlas's regional map of the Levant. See how Jordan compares in the castle statistics.
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