In the ruins of Qasr el-Abd

Beautiful old palace near Amman

04/2023 At the end of our trip to Jordan, we spent a few days in Amman. One nearby destination was Qasr el-Abd.

Qasr el-Abd (Palace of the Servant) is an extraordinary building from the Hellenistic period, located in Wadi al-Sir, west of Amman, Jordan. It was probably built in the 2nd century BC and is associated with Hyrcanus, a member of the influential Tobiad family. The two-story palace was built from massive, precisely hewn stone blocks and was once surrounded by gardens and pools, creating the appearance of an island in the water. Particularly noteworthy are the large animal reliefs, including those of lions and panthers, that decorate the walls. Today, Qasr el-Abd is one of the most important archaeological remains of Hellenistic architecture in Jordan.