And after that, guides to Europe, and then the whole world. Qasr Kharanah is yet another imposing fortress built by the Umayyads, once thought to have been constructed for defence purposes. It is perhaps more likely that it was a former caravanserai, where camel caravans pulled in to break their journey. The windows are narrow, arrow-slots and these open in all directions, lending considerable credence to the fortress theory, although many historians feel that they would have offered insufficient field of fire to archers and are more likely to have been used for light and ventilation.
Decorations are few, but some frescoes are to be found in the upper rooms.