Located just off the Desert Highway, where the ancient Syrian pilgrimage road once stretched across yellow plains, Qatrana Castle is dusting off 1,000 years of history and entering the 21st century on the tourism map. On September 28, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin officially opened a full development project to convert the site from a peaceful ruin into an “integrated tourism destination”—including restored fabric, visitor facilities, trained guides, and local shops.
This effort is not just about beautification, however. The project was developed under directions from Prime Minister Jafar Hassan to rehabilitate the archaeological value of the site while also providing tangible economic benefit for the Karak governorate. According to government officials, the work will generate direct job opportunities for people from the region, attract investment as an ancillary benefit, and fold Qatrana into the ministry’s “Our Jordan is Paradise” tours – a plan to move more tourists beyond Petra and Amman to the lesser-known southern treasures of Jordan.
Why Qatrana is Important:The castle serves as an architectural time capsule. It has been built and rebuilt over time, most prominently shaped during the Ottoman period. The three-storey fort, made from basalt and limestone, was once a support stop for travelers on the long Hajj pilgrimage, providing water, shelter, and even a rudimentary postal service for the caravans. Its immense reservoir — around 70 by 70 meters — and ancient water channels are a stunning demonstration of desert engineering and community survival in a harsh environment. The subterranean parts of the waterworks are as captivating for many visitors as the rampart walls.
The approach to restoration combines conservation principles and experience design: pathways to protect fragile walls, interpretive panels to tell the stories of the caravans and training programmes so local guides tell the layers of history at the castle. From the tourism service perspective, Petra’s press release mentions the project will include upgrading visitor services (i.e., toilets and shelter) and the operation of small shops run by local vendors — a model for keeping tourism dollars circulating within the community rather than leaking out.
According to Jordan, Qatrana serves as a reminder of the cultural preservation dimensions of heritage-led tourism as well as the rural development dimensions. Travelers meandering through its courtyards this season will discover more than simply stones and twilight silhouettes amidst its ramparts; they will observe a living strategy to convert history into livelihoods — and perhaps gain insight into why a desert fortress once mattered to pilgrims, princes, and planners alike.
