The Romans built the small fort at Burqu to protect a seasonal lake that provided precious water in a highly arid region. They helped conserve the water (run-off from the Haurun-Druze Plateau) by building a dam in the 3rd century, thereby securing water for caravans heading between Syria and Arabia. The fort became a monastery during the Byzantine period, and was later restored by the Umayyads in about AD 700.
Remarkably, an inscription on one of the walls of the fort suggests that it may have been occupied as late as 1409.
The lake, which often dries out in summer, is home to a number of bird species (including finches, storks, sandpipers, larks, cranes, buzzards, eagles and vultures) that come to roost because the water level rarely changes, even in summer. The harshness of the surrounding landscape, as well as the lack of properly graded roads, has acted as a strong deterrent against poaching, although the Bedouin occasionally fly their birds of prey in the area. Home to gazelles, desert hares, foxes, hyenas and even caracals this remarkable little oasis has all the makings of a national reserve.
Wild camping is possible out here (don’t pitch too close to the lake for the sake of the wildlife – the winged, six-legged varieties bite viciously at dusk) but don’t expect that your presence will go unnoticed. The local Bedouin are bound to find you and wonder what you are doing here, on the fringes of civilisation. They are also likely to insist you share tea with them.
With a tent, some basic survival gear and a reliable 4WD, you can enjoy a serious desert adventure out here which is precisely why the RSCN has been fighting to establish Burqu as a protected reserve, fitting nicely into its plans to develop tourism in the Eastern Desert. To see if it’s possible to pre-arrange a guided tour to Qasr Burqu from Azraq, contact the RSCN at the Wild Jordan Centre in Amman.
