Jordan's Umayyad desert castles are beautiful examples of early Islamic art and architecture and stand testament to a fascinating era in the country's rich history. Take a half-day tour and delve deep into the history of Jordan. The structures are called “castles” because of their imposing stature. The desert complexes once served various purposes as caravan stations, agriculture and trade centers, resort pavilions, and outposts that helped distant rulers forge ties with local Bedouins. Inside the castles, early Islamic art can be found. The fine mosaics, frescoes, stone and stucco carvings are inspired by the best in Persian and Graeco-Roman traditions and reveal to us countless stories of the life as it was during the 8th Century. Alongside the castles you will also visit the black basalt fort at Azraq, which had been in continuous use since late Roman times, and was the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt