Iraq al-Amir – Qasr al-Abd & Tobiad Caves

It was day one of my tour of Jordan, and after visiting the Cave of the Seven Sleepers, it was time for a long drive to reach Qasr al-Abd. This is a small palace which is in ruins and lies near a village called Iraq al-Amir, so this is also known as Qasr Iraq Al-Amir (castle of Iraq al-Amir village). This place has nothing to do with the country of Iraq, just to be clear, as it lies around seventeen kilometres from the capital city of Amman.

The drive to this place was very scenic as it was a mountainous road cutting across valleys full of olive trees. The roads were empty, and since this was the first day, I was a bit nervous, as this was an unknown country, but it all went well, and I was stopping multiple times on the way just to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.

Finally, we reached the village of Iraq al-Amir and right after that reached the gates to the Qasr al-Abd. This is not so much frequented by tourists as we were the only ones at the site. This is a ticked monument and covered as part of the Jordan Pass. Right after scanning our tickets at the ticket counter, we were enjoying the ruins of Qasr al-Abd.

History Of Qasr al-Abd

The history of this place correlates with the history of this region and the geography also. In ancient times, this region was not divided into political boundaries; instead, it was the kingdom that defined this region. This castle was built, according to the historians, by Hyrcanus of Jerusalem, who was part of the Tobiads, who were a Jewish dynasty.

This castle was built around 182 – 175 BC, and the name can be translated as “Castle of the Servants” or “Castle of the Slaves”. This was due to the fact that Hyrcanus was considered the ruler of the people, a servant who served the people of this region.

The construction was never completed as Hyrcanus died young, and no one knew the actual purpose for which this place was being constructed. Different opinions exist as to what the actual purpose of this building, some say it was a summer palace, while others say it was to be the mausoleum of the Tobiads.

This was a two-story structure that was surrounded by a man-made lake. The water of the lakes was sourced from different sources and channelled to either side of the castle, where one can still see the stone panthers with their mouth wide open. It’s from the mouth of the panther that the water flowed.

This castle was built in a Hellenistic style, which means that it had influence from the Greek style of architecture.

The palace was severely damaged during the 363 AD earthquake that had struck this region on two consecutive days of 18^th and 19^th May. Many significant monuments were destroyed due to this, including the city of Petra.

At a later stage, this place was converted to a Byzantine Church. Due to this, the place was renovated, and unlike other structures which had been destroyed during the earthquake, did not survive this palace reinvented itself in a new form. The upper floors were supposed to be residential quarters that were used during the Byzantine period.

What To See At The Qasr al-Abd

The original structure measures forty meters in depth and twenty meters wide. The whole structure was once a two-storied structure; however, now it’s a structure without a ceiling, with only the outer walls standing. The structure once stood at a height of thirteen meters with design elements typical of an ancient Greek structure.

On either side, you can still see the panthers carved out in stone with open mouths from where once water flowed. Scattered around the outer perimeter of the structure, you will find stone pieces that once were part of the castle, with the olive press very much visible in its original form.

The valley around Qasr al-Abd was filled with olive trees, and even till date, one can see the olive trees that are harvested by the villagers.

From the front of the building, one can see the massive pillars supporting the top, but after this, it’s just ruins once you take the stone steps and reach the inner chambers. All that one can see are crumbling remains of stone blocks and the still-standing surrounding walls.

Ground Floor: Originally, this place had four rooms surrounded by a portico. It is not certain how these rooms were utilised; some historians suggest that these were used to store grains and rooms for the guards on duty to guard the palace.

There were two water tanks that were built on the north-west and the south-east corners of the rooms; these acted as holding tanks for the water that sprouted out from the two stone carved panthers on the outside.

Upper Floor: Four rooms were present, which surrounded a central hall. The original purpose of the central hall might be for religious celebrations. Since the building construction was never completed, the upper floor actually did not have a full ceiling and remained open. Some portions that were covered originally had collapsed during the earthquakes.

This structure was actually restored in the 1970’s, and that is why you can still see the walls standing where it was supposed to stand. Massive restoration work was done with international assistance from the French Institute of Archaeology of the Near East, along with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities.

Tobiad Caves

You will find a row of caves next to the main road on your way to Qasr al-Abd. These are known as the Tobiad Caves, which were the burial places for the Tobiads.

You will find a stone cut steps leading you to a side of a hill, and after climbing for around 200 meters, you will reach the seats of burial tombs cut into the hillside.

You will be able to clearly see the Hebrew inscriptions carved out on a stone outside the cave, which gave the historians a reference to the Tobiads.

How to Visit Qasr al-Abd & Tobiad Caves

I was travelling around Jordan with a rented self-driven car, so I had the freedom to explore any places on the map. To visit this place, the only option that one could opt for is a car. If you are not comfortable driving a car, then you can rent a car along with a chauffeur to reach here.

I would recommend only coming during the daytime as the roads around here are mountainous with few scattered villages and large olive farms.

Qasr al-Abd had excellent facilities for tourists, considering the availability of a clean toilet, which is free to use. Tobiad Caves, on the other hand, is an open tourist site with no ticket counter or any other individuals from the government.

Location Of Qasr al-Abd On The Map

Location Of Tobiad Caves On The Map

These caves are located right next to the main road, which you will cross while going towards Qasr al-Abd.

Vlog On Qasr al-Abd

Vlog On Tobiad Caves

Other Blogs On Jordan

Roman Theatre – Amman
Cave Of The Seven Sleepers – Jordan

Resources

Jordan Pass
Kuwait Times
The Arab Weekly