Qasr Al-Harana

Qasr Al-Harana, also known as Qasr Kharana, is a well-preserved Umayyad building located in the Jordanian desert. The building is a nearly square structure, 35 meters on each side, with small projecting corner towers and a projecting rounded entrance on the south side. It has 60 rooms on two levels arranged around a central courtyard, with a rainwater pool in the middle. The rooms have small slits for light and ventilation, and some are decorated with pilasters, medallions, and blind niches finished in plaster. The purpose of the building is still debated among scholars, but it is believed to have been used as a meeting place for local Bedouin leaders and Umayyad rulers. The building's remote yet highly visible location, coupled with its layout and organization, suggest that it was used for private and protected meetings between tribal communities and government representatives