Qasr Amra is an Umayyad desert castle in eastern Jordan, built in the early 8th century, probably as a hunting lodge and bathhouse for an Umayyad prince or caliph. Its main attraction is its wall paintings, which show hunting scenes, musicians, dancers, bathing women and animals, and an astronomical depiction of the sky on the ceiling of one bath chamber. They are remarkable because they show figural art in an early Islamic building and are one of the best-preserved examples of Umayyad art. The building lies in the Wadi Butm east of Amman and has a hall, a bath complex with hot and cold rooms and a water system. UNESCO inscribed it in 1985, and its frescoes have been restored in recent years.
Before and after
- from 711 CE to 1492Al-Andalus
- from 711 CE to 726 CEUmayyad conquest of Hispania
- 19 July 711 CEBattle of Guadalete
- 712 CEBirth of Du Fu
- 712 CEConstruction of Qasr Amra
- from 15 July 717 CE to 15 August 718 CESiege of Constantinople
- from 718 CE to 910 CEKingdom of Asturias
- from 719 CE to 1798Construction of Abbey of Saint Gall
- 721 CEBirth of Jabir ibn Hayyan
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 691 CEConstruction of Dome of the Rock
- 8th centuryConstruction of Borobudur Temple
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- from 1206 to 1368Mongol Empire
- 1239Construction of Alhambra
- 1473Construction of Sistine Chapel
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 8th century.