South Entrance

Qasr Kharana, Jordan

Kharana is an early Umayyad (before 711) desert building located near Amra. Although the two-story building may look like a fort, it isn't; the "arrow slits" seen here are only for ventilation. Inside, the building consists of numerous rooms arranged around a central courtyard. Overall, Kharana combines some features of a private residence with other features of a caravanserai, and may have been used as a sort of "hotel" for aristocrats traveling along the trade routes.