Desert castles are Islamic fortifications built during the earliest days of Islamic expansion, in the 8th century AD. Found in what is now Jordan, Palestine, Syria, and Iraq, the castles are built somewhat reminiscently of Roman fortresses.
Desert castles are believed to have been used for hunting lodges, manor houses, wayside stations and/or meeting places. Their construction was a square floor plan of stone construction with corner bastions and semi-circular towers; very much like a castle in the desert.
Sources
This glossary entry is a part of the About.com Guide to Ancient House Types, the Guide to the Islamic Civilization and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology.
Finster, B. and J. Schmidt. 2005. The origin of ‘desert castles’: Qasr Bani Muqatil, near Karbala, Iraq. Antiquity 79(304):339-349.
Genequand, Denis. 2005. From ‘desert castle’ to medieval town: Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi (Syria). Antiquity 79(304):350-361.
