Letter M

259. Mudāwwara “Jaghīmān” | المدورة / جهيمان سابقا

Ma‘ān Governorate

Ḥājj fort / Qal‘a, Jāmi‘

JADIS no. none

MEGA no. 59412

Coordinates: 29°19'23.0"N 35°59'28.5"E

29.323056, 35.991250

Plan: square with a rectangular interior courtyard. The entrance, covered by a barrel vault, is located on the E side facing a liwān to the W. Square to rectangular rooms are arranged along all four sides, a second story is only along the W and above the entrance in the E. On both sides of the entrance two staircases lead to the upper floor.

Measurements: ca 361 m²

Exterior: 19 x 19 m.

Interior: unknown.

Building Materials: local limestone with lime mortar, partially painted in white and yellow.

Construction details: The walls are constructed with two different types of stone blocks which differ in the upper story from the basement. This difference is caused by two construction phases in the late Mamluk (basement) and the Ottoman periods (upper floor). The upper floor is supported by stone brackets which are bound into the masonry of the interior ground floor walls. The corners of the castle were strengthened by 1 m high stone crenels with small bay towers at the four corners. In the lower part of the second floor all around loopholes which allowed the gunners of the garrison to shoot in lying position. The aerial photo of 1927 attests that the SW corner tower was used as a minaret (fig. 259.3).

Preservation: The fortress was originally built as a pilgrim station and fortified by a second floor guard’s walkway in the Ottoman period. In the early Hashemite period it served as a station for the desert police, and it is abandoned today. Major destruction happened in the later 1980 when the S wall collapsed.

Inscription(s): A modern inscription above the entrance is not legible anymore.

Date(s): Mamuk-Ottoman.

Traveler Reports: see Shqour 2015, 217-218; Shqour 2019, 395-397.

Bibliography: Housan 2008, 215-224; Khammash 2002 (2013); Petersen 2012, 123-124; Miettunen 2014, 121-122 no. 27; 214 fig. 25; Shqour 2015, 214-218; Tabbah - Taylor 2016, 292-293; Shqour 2019, 393-397; Schick 2020, no. 81. [entry co-edited by SAd 2020]

Figs. 259.1-2 Ground plans of basement (left) and upper (right) floor (Petersen 2012, 123-124 figs. 38-39).

Fig. 259.3 Aerial view from S dated to December 15th, 1927, at the SW corner a minaret with circular balcony (TNA-AIR5-1157-1 courtesy of National Archive London).

Fig. 259.4 Exterior E elevation, ca. 1940 (NAt).

Fig. 259.5 Exterior E elevation of the desert police station, cs. 1940 (Nadine Fattaleh).

Fig. 259.6 Exterior S elevation, 1986 (Petersen 2008, plate 124).

Fig. 259.7 Exterior view of castle from NE (Akh 2002).

Fig. 259.8 Exterior view of the E elevation with entrance (NAt).

Fig. 259.9 Exterior SW corner (NAt).

Fig. 259.10 S side after destruction of the wall, condition in 2002 (NAt).

Fig. 259.11 Interior N side with small domed room attached to it, con- dition in 1986 (Petersen 2008, plate 129).

Fig. 259.12 Interior NW corner, condition in 2002 (NAt).

Fig. 259.13 View through barrel vaulted entrance to lower storey liwan on the E side (Akh 2002).

Fig. 259.14 View of entrance gate from the courtyard (Miettunen 2013, 214 fig.25).

Figures

[Figs. 259.1-2 ]

Ground plans of basement (left) and upper (right) floor (Petersen 2012, 123-124 figs. 38-39).

[Fig. 259.3 ]

Aerial view from S dated to December 15th, 1927, at the SW corner a minaret with circular balcony (TNA-AIR5-1157-1 courtesy of National Archive London).

[Fig. 259.4 ]

Exterior E elevation, ca. 1940 (NAt).

[Fig. 259.5 ]

Exterior E elevation of the desert police station, cs. 1940 (Nadine Fattaleh).

[Fig. 259.6 ]

Exterior S elevation, 1986 (Petersen 2008, plate 124).

[Fig. 259.7 ]

Exterior view of castle from NE (Akh 2002).

[Fig. 259.8 ]

Exterior view of the E elevation with entrance (NAt).

[Fig. 259.9]

Exterior SW corner (NAt).