The Historic "Barq'a" Palace: A Hidden Gem in the Northern Badia Desert - Jordan News
The historic "Barq'a" Islamic palace stands as a distinctive landmark on the shoulder of a water dam that carries the same name, located in the Al-Ruwaishid District of Mafraq Governorate. It is one of the Islamic archaeological palaces built from the black basalt stones found in the region. اضافة اعلان Mafraq Director of Antiquities, Emad Obaidat, explained that the selection of the palace's location indicates a strategic choice of sensitive areas to ensure security and maintain the stability of the caliphate. Before parts of it collapsed, the palace consisted of three different floors, with another adjacent residence equipped with stone and pottery channels to provide both cold and hot water. Obaidat noted that the palace's name, "Barq'a," comes from the fact that Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik was fond of hunting and using trained Arabian falcons to hunt rabbits and gazelles. The term "Barq'a" refers to the covering placed over a falcon's eyes before it is released to hunt its prey. He further clarified that the palace contains two inscriptions, one of which confirms that its reconstruction occurred during the reign of Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik. The palace is rectangular in shape, surrounded by a series of small rectangular rooms on the northern and southern sides. Obaidat added that the palace was constructed in three phases, including the Nabatean, Byzantine, and early Umayyad periods. It features three towers and three small rooms. To the south of the palace, there is a water reservoir connected to a channel that brings water from a nearby dam.
He pointed out that the distance of the palace from the capital Amman and the city of Mafraq limits the accessibility for tourists. However, the Department of Antiquities is working on several projects to rebuild and restore the site. The palace has been mentioned in numerous studies, including writings by the British traveler Gertrude Bell in 1913, and a study published by the University of Edinburgh in 1988. (Petra)
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