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Scattered throughout the black
basalt desert, east of
Amman, the Desert Castles stand
as a testament to the
flourishing
beginnings of Islamic-Arab
civilization. These seemingly
isolated pavilions, caravan
stations, secluded baths, and
hunting lodges, were at one time
integrated agricultural or trading
complexes, built mostly under
the Umayyads
(661-750 AD), when Muslim Arabs had
succeeded in transforming the
fringes of the desert into
well-watered settlements.
Aside from being widely
considered as the most spectacular
and original monuments of
early Islamic
art, these complexes also
served practical purposes: namely,
as residences, caravanserais, and
baths.
 In the year 661, the capital of
the newly founded Arab Muslim Empire
moved from Madina and Kufa in the
Hejaz and Iraq respectively, to
Damascus, the seat of the
Umayyad Dynasty. The years which
immediately followed the death of
the founder of the dynasty, Mu'awiya
bin Abi Sufyan, were spent in
overcoming rival claimants to the
Caliphate.
The latter part of the reign of
AbdulMalek bin Marwan (685-750)
seems to have been an exceptionally
favorable interlude for the
Umayyads. Being more firmly on the
saddle, one can detect a
sudden release
of talent and creativity, which was
manifested by the construction of
the first major Islamic monument in
Jerusalem, the majestic
Dome of the Rock. The
architectural program initiated by
Caliph
AbdulMalek, was continued and
expanded by his son,
Al-Walid,
who built the great mosques of
Damascus, Jerusalem, and Madina.
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