80. Dab‘a / al-Balqā’, Qal‘at | قلعة البلقاء / ضبعة

‘Ammān Governorate

Hajj fort / Qal‘at

JADIS no. 241 1003

MEGA no. 6890

Coordinates: 31°35'47.0"N 36°03'02.0"E

31.596389, 36.050556

Plan: It is not certain whether the fortress had a distinct prayer room or not. The basement room at the S interior flank in axial alignment to the main gate is assigned as a muṣallā, but it has no miḥrāb.

Measurements: unknown.

Exterior: unknown.

Interior: unknown.

Building Materials: local brown limestone. An early Islamic decorated block has been reused as a lintel of the

gate (fig. 80.6).

Construction details: unknown.

Preservation: restored in recent times.

Inscription(s): E. Brünnow and A. von Domaszewski (Provincia Arabia II, 78) published the text of an Arabic inscription read by M. van Berchem. The stone seems be lost, the inscription is only known by a squeeze taken by Julius Euting (cf. Petersen 2012, 155). The text quotes Q. 9 al-Tawbah, 18:

Translation: “The mosques of Allāh shall be maintained by who believes in Allāh and the Last Day, establishes prayer and brings alms and does not fear except Allāh, perhaps those will be among the rightly-guided.” (Q. 9 al-Tawbah, 18). Renewed this blessed place the one who does good deeds, the commander of the Ḥājj, the vizier ‘Uthmān Pāshā [year Dhū] al-Ḥijjah 1180.” (= 30^th April to 29^th May 1767)

Date(s): Renovated between 30^th April to 29^th May 1767.

Traveler Reports:” [366]... the Kala’at el-Belka (a station on the Syrian Hadj) called by the Bedouins Kalaat Remeydan...[657-658:] One days journey (scil.: from Qal’at az-Zerqa’) is Kalaat el-Belka ... The castle of Belka has a large Birket of rain water. Its commander or Odabashi is always chosen from among the Janissaries of Damascus. It serves the Arabs of Djebel Belka as a depot for their provisions. To the west of the castle the mountain of Belka terminates. The Arabs of Belka live in tents around the castle, and are Felahein or cultivators of the ground.” (Burckhardt 1822); “.... we passed khan ez-Zeyt where are arches of an aqueduct. Not much further, after twentysix miles, we came to our encampment, in a bottom, beside the lately repaired Kellat el-Belka, being here due east of Jerusalem, beyond the Dead Sea; the land altitude is 2870 ft.” (Doughty I, 19, repr. Provincia Arabia II, 78). “(scil.: Station kal’at Daba’a) Sie hat denselben Stil wie el-Kutrâni oder el-Hesa, ein viereckiger Bau mit einem Eingange in den geräumigen Hof, um welchen Wohnräume und Stalltungen stehen; über ihnen gibt es noch niedrige Räume, welche ein flaches Dach deckt, das aber von der Außenmauer überragtüberragt wird. Nach einer daselbst angebrachten Inschrift wurde sie im Mai 1767 von dem Verweser der syrischen Pilgerstraße ‘Otmân Pasha erneuert. Nur zur Zeit der Pilgerfahrten ist hier ein Posten stationiert, sonst steht die Festung leer, weil die Keraker Familie, deren Obhut sie anvertraut ist, bei ihren Herden im Zelt wohnt (Höhe 715m).” (Musil 1901, in: Arabia Petraea I).

Bibliography: Provincia Arabia II, 77-78; Arabia Petraea I, 301; Petersen 2012, 68-72; Genequand 2012, 223-226; Shqour 2015, 168-174; Shqour 2015, 345-353; Tabbah - Taylor 2016, 284-285.