Az-Zarqa: Hotels Between History and Landscape

If you’re looking for a hotel in Az-Zarqa, the city’s historical and landscape themes can help you plan your stay: the banks and green spaces along the Zarqa River take center stage, while Qasr Shebib evokes the area’s history. There is also Qasr Hammam al-Sarah, an Umayyad bathhouse. These themes are quite distinct and offer different starting points for planning a stay in Az-Zarqa around your interests.

Qasr Shebib: The History of a Fortress by the Wadi

Qasr Shebib lies in the heart of Zarqa and is a Roman fortress. Later, it served the Islamic state in protecting pilgrim caravans from Syria. This means two historical functions can be distinguished at one site: the original fortress and a later role in protecting the caravans. The sequence of events helps put these two details into context: the protective role belongs to a later period, not to its founding in the 3rd century.

Qasr Shebib overlooks Wadi Zarqa and Wadi al-Hajar; the latter is a tributary of Wadi Zarqa. This clearly distinguishes the two waterways and connects the historic site with the landscape of the wadis.

Walks along the Zarqa River

Along the Zarqa River, you can walk along its banks and enjoy the green spaces. This offers a different focus from the history of the fortress and bathhouse: here, the riverbanks and urban greenery take center stage. When planning your trip, you can therefore distinguish a scenic walk from the historical sites as different interests.

An Umayyad Bathhouse

Qasr Hammam al-Sarah, also known as “Eastern Hallabat Palace,” is an Umayyad bathhouse commissioned by Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik in the early 8th century AD. It represents a different historical type from Qasr Shebib: Qasr Hammam al-Sarah is a bathhouse from the Umayyad period, while Qasr Shebib originated as a Roman fortress and later served to protect pilgrim caravans. Their different periods and functions offer two clearly distinct historical themes to explore in Zarqa.

More to explore in the wider Zarqa destination

In the wider Zarqa destination, the Dahek Nature Reserve offers a landscape-focused experience. It is considered one of the best places in Jordan for observing the stars and moon; its low light pollution and clear night sky are cited as reasons. The reserve also appeals to visitors interested in geological formations, including white chalk slopes. Different interests therefore come together there: observing the sky and viewing geological formations. If you plan your trip around your preferred themes, the reserve offers a different focus from the historic sites in Az-Zarqa.

Quseir Amra is also located in the wider Zarqa destination and offers a distinctive cultural and historical experience. Its reception hall and hammam are richly decorated with figurative wall paintings that reflect the secular art of their time. The frescoes depict influences from classical pagan themes and Byzantine portraiture, as well as hunting scenes, animals, and birds. They are accompanied by inscriptions in Greek and Arabic. When viewing them, you can distinguish between motifs, art-historical influences, and writing as different aspects. The frescoes thus offer a different focus from the history of fortresses and bathhouses in Az-Zarqa.

Discover more destinations: Azraq Ed Duruz.

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