Where the Crusader castle of Kerak lies at the ring of a plateau 3,400 feet above sea level.

East of Amman and dotting the wide desert are a string of 8th century “Qasars” or castles built by the Omayyad Caliphs of Damascus as Hunting lodges. Best preserved of them and most interesting to visit are Qasar Kharaneh, builtfor defense, and Qasar Amra with its beautiful frescoes showing lively scenes of Omayyad times. Beyond the castles lies Azraq Oasis, the only permanent body of water in 12,000 square miles of desert, and a migratory for hundreds of speciesof birds. Qasar Al Azraq, the black basalt fort originally built by Roman legionariesthat Lawrence of Arabia used as head-quarters during the Arab Revolt.