The Umayyad complex on the Citadel in Amman: A Landscape of Authority

Abstract

Abstract

In the Umayyad period Amman was the capital of al - Balqa, a sub –governarate of Jund Dimashq (the military province of Damascus), which indicates its importance in the Umayyad administrative system.

The construction of Dar al - Imara was accompanied by the rebuilding of the citadel’s surrounding walls which in the Byzantine period were in a state of disrepair the layout of Dar al - Imara is regular and is clearly   the product of a carefully thought out planThe complex included a reception hall, a mosque, a uq and a bath, the constituent elements of an Islamic city. This became like a separate city hiding in the shadows of the surrounding walls and shut off from the bustle of downtown Amman. Visitors seeking audience with the governor were obliged to wait at the monumental gateway and then walk through a courtyard and a paved colonnaded street before being presentedThe Dar al- Imara thus became not only an administrative centre but also a symbol of authority and power.