Excavations at the Umayyad and Early Abbasid Reservoir-Enclosure of ‘Ayn Sawda (Azraq Oasis, Jordan)

First Results

Authors

  • Lorraine Abu Azizeh Architect DPLG independent
  • Julie Bonnéric Institut français du Proche-Orient
  • Barbara Couturaud Institut français du Proche-Orient
  • Aurélien Stavy Architect DPLG independent

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jia.24216

Keywords:

Early Islamic, Jordan, Azraq oasis, hydro-agricultural facilities, desert castles

Abstract

In the centre of the Azraq oasis in the Eastern Desert of Jordan, there is a long wall previously interpreted as a huge water reservoir that was fed by the ‘Ayn Sawda spring. The site, seen as belonging to the category of the Umayyad “desert castles,” is best known through the many basalt blocks with mortise and tenon joints that were found there, several being carved with figurative representations in bas and high relief. These form an exceptional archaeological collection with no known iconographic parallel. Given the uncertainty of both the function and dating of the structure, between 2013 and 2016, the Azraq ‘Ayn Sawda Reservoir Project (Ifpo) made a topographical plan of the site and an inventory of the carved blocks, and carried out excavations, an architectural study and an assessment of the state of preservation. The results suggest an enclosure delimiting an agricultural area to the west and a water reservoir to the east. It was built in the Umayyad period, somewhere between 664 and 690 AD, and probably reconfigured in early Abbasid times, somewhere between 768 and 900 AD. Excavation also revealed unusual and various building techniques designed for very specific environments. This monument exploited all the possibilities of this rich oasis to enhance the landscape.

Author Biographies

  • Lorraine Abu Azizeh, Architect DPLG independent

    Lorraine Abu Azizeh is a French architect, specialising in cultural heritage conservation and restoration. She has been working for more than 10 years in architecture offices in France as well as on archaeological sites in the Middle East. She led the Azraq Ayn Sawda Reservoir Project from 2013 to 2016.

  • Julie Bonnéric, Institut français du Proche-Orient

    Julie Bonnéric is an archaeologist and currently researcher at the French Institute of the Near East and head of Amman branch. She is a specialist of early and middle Islamic periods in the Middle East, and her research focuses on the religious and social evolutions following the conquests. She is the co-director of the French-Kuwaiti Archaeological Mission in Failaka since 2014 and director of the Jarash Eastern Project since 2022.

  • Barbara Couturaud, Institut français du Proche-Orient

    Barbara Couturaud is an archaeologist, specialized in ancient Near East during the Early Bronze Age and currently a researcher and head of the Ifpo office in Erbil. She has participated in various excavations, ranging from Late chalcolithic to Medieval period, in Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Kuwait. She is the director of the Amyan Archaeological Expedition.

  • Aurélien Stavy, Architect DPLG independent

    Aurélien Stavy is a French architect and urbanist based in Paris. Wishing to address the various issues of sustainable land development, he promotes an interdisciplinary practice: architecture, urban planning, environmental consultancy, and archaeological research. 

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Published

2024-03-07

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Abu Azizeh, L., Bonnéric, J., Couturaud, B., & Stavy, A. (2024). Excavations at the Umayyad and Early Abbasid Reservoir-Enclosure of ‘Ayn Sawda (Azraq Oasis, Jordan): First Results. Journal of Islamic Archaeology, 10(2), 101-133. https://doi.org/10.1558/jia.24216