Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi (Arabic: قصر الحير الشرقي, lit. 'Eastern al-Hayr Palace or the "Eastern Castle"') is a castle (qasr) in the middle of the Syrian Desert. It was built by the UmayyadcaliphHisham ibn Abd al-Malik in 728-29 CE in an area rich in desert fauna.[1] It was apparently used as a military and hunting outpost.[2] The palace is the counterpart of Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi, a nearby castle palace built one year earlier.[1] It is one of the so-called desert castles.
Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharq is 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Al-Sukhnah and 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Sergiopolis (Rusafa), near Bishri Mountain near Palmyran Middle Mountains.
During Syria Civil War, Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi was captured by armed groups in 2013, then by ISIS. The Castle has been damaged by looting and vandalism. The visitor house has been burgled.[3] The Syrian Army recaptured the castle on 22 August 2017.[4]
The palace consists of a large open courtyard surrounded by thick bulwarks and towers guarding the entrances and each corner.[6] The ruins consist of three main components, known as the Small Enclosure, the Large Enclosure and the Outer Enclosure, each of which differ in form and function.[7] The palace(s) contains remnants of rooms, arches and columns which seem to be parts of a huge royal complex, including smaller structures, a reception hall, a mosque, a large bathhouse, gardens, courtyards and a complex water control system. Believed to each be made of a fine-grained limestone with an amber tint, these structures are each complex and visually stunning. In addition to the using stone, these towers exhibit a unique and charming decorative design, using brick and stucco.[8] The bigger palace has been several floors, with a huge gate and many towers. Towers were not built as defensive measures. There were also olive yards. The palaces were supplied with water by nearby Byzantinechurch by a canal 5,700 metres (6,200 yd) long.
Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi was ultimately abandoned at the start of the fourteenth century, resulting in an unprecedented opportunity to study urban life, order and planning during the early Islamic period.[8] The site was excavated in six seasons between 1964 and 1971 by renowned Islamic art historian Oleg Grabar.[9][10] Excavation of this site provided a unique example for historians and archaeologists of the ecological developments and decorative elements and materials of the area, such as ceramics and coins.[8] Some of the decorated parts have been moved to the National Museum of Damascus while the gate has been reconstructed in the Deir ez-Zor Museum.[11]
^ abcHolod-Tretiak, Renata (1970). "Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi: A Mediaeval Town in Syria". Archaeology. 23 (3): 221–231.
^Grabar, Oleg; Renata, Holod; Knustad, James; Trousdale, William (1978). City in the Desert, Qasr al-Hayr East. Boston: Harvard University Press.
^Gruber, Christiane; Al-Ferzly, Michelle; Holod, Renata (2021). City in the desert, revisited: Oleg Grabar at Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi, 1964-71. Kelsey Museum publication. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Kelsey Museum of Archaeology. ISBN978-1-7330504-0-1.
^Bonatz, Dominik; Kühne, Hartmut; Mahmoud, As'ad (1998). Rivers and steppes. Cultural heritage and environment of the Syrian Jezireh. Catalogue to the Museum of Deir ez-Zor. Damascus: Ministry of Culture. OCLC638775287.
