The Desert castles consist of a number of minor castles and fortresses scattered over the desert in eastern Jordan. Most of the remaining castles are situated east of the capital Amman.
The castles were built between the 7th century and 8th century, roughly between 660 and 750, under the caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty who had made Damascus their new capital in 661. The majority of the castles lie on the ancient trade routes towards Medina and Kufa.
The castles are partly rebuilt from earlier remains and partly new constructions. The function and use of the buildings are yet today not quite determined, scholarship has suggested that they might have served a variety of defensive, agricultural, residential and commercial purposes. There are different theories concerning the use of the buildings, they may have been a fortress, a meeting place for Bedouins (between themselves or with the Ummayyad governor), badiyas (retreats for the nobles) or used as a caravanserai. Many seem to have been surrounded by an oasis and to have served as a base for hunting.
The castles represent some of the most impressive examples of early Islamic art and Islamic architecture, and are notable for including many figurative frescos and reliefs and people and animals, less frequently found in later Islamic art on such a large and public scale. Many elements of the palaces are also on display in museums in Amman.
Most of the buildings are now destroyed. Among the better preserved are: