Mosque Name: Qasr Burqu’
Country: Jordan
City: Desert Castle
Year of construction (AH): 81 AH
Year of construction (AD): 700 AD
GPS: 34° 0’26.03”N 36°12’25.59”E
Gibson Classification: unknown
Rebuilt facing Mecca: never
For a Link to the Qibla Tool Click Here
Description:
Qasr Burqu’ is located on the shore of Ghadir (Lake) Burqu’. It is the only year round watering place in northeastern Jordan. The Romans in the 3rd century rebuilt the ancient dam that secured water for caravans heading between Syria and Arabia.
It is a very remote location, that seemed to have been used as a monastery during the Byzantine era, and later as a meeting place for nomadic Arabs.
As Qasr Burqu’ is built on earlier ruins, and also because there is no obvious mosque, no qibla can be established. There is nothing in this building complex that suggests a qibla of any sort.
According to an inscription (700 AD) the palace was restored and enlarged by the Umayyads who used it as part of the network of forts patrolling the outlets from Wadi Sirhan. Walid I was in charge of that region in 708 AD during his father Abd al-Malik‘s reign. Other Arabic inscriptions on one of the walls of the fort suggests that it may have been occupied as late as 1409. Perhaps in later excavations a mosque or place of prayer will be discovered.
The drawing below is taken from: A New Architectural Survey of Qasr Burqu’, Eastern Jordan, by Svend Helms, F. S. A., The Antiquaries Journal, 1991
The Qasr sit on the south east shore of Lake Burqu'
Drawing of the Qasr layout
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