This morning we toured three desert "castles" dating from the early Islamic era. For the first, Qasr Al-Kharanah, "castle" is a misnomer, as the building's internal arrangement does not suggest a military use. Standing in the middle of a barren landscape far from a water source, the building's purpose is still debated. Qasr Amra is not really a castle either, but rather a 'country cabin' retreat for the Caliph of the time. It is most notable for its frescoes which depict hunting scenes, dancing scenes containing naked women, working craftsmen, the recently discovered "cycle of Jonah", and the first known representation of heaven on a hemispherical surface, where the mirror-image of the constellations is accompanied by the figures of the zodiac. This has led to the designation of Qusayr 'Amra as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Qasr al-Azraq was an actual fortress originally built by the Romans, deriving its strategic value from its proximity to the area's only water source. It was rebuilt by Arabs during the Crusades and later occupied by Lawrence of Arabia for ten months during the Arab Revolt. In the afternoon we headed to the Dead Sea. I visited the Dead Sea from the Israeli side in 1984 and remember a rather barren public access, so I was initially alarmed when we were informed that we would have three hours, as I was thinking a half hour would be enough to experience the novelty of floating in the salty sea. I was pleasantly surprised when we were given access to a beautiful resort with three infinity pools overlooking the Dead Sea. Famously the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea is 434 metres below sea level. With a salinity of around 34%, one can float with minimal effort in the Dead Sea's highly buoyant waters. Not only was an afternoon relaxing at a resort a welcome change, but when everyone else congregated at the pool nearest the sea access, it left us with the other two all to ourselves! We were able to share a memorable, magical, movie-romance moment together. Afterwards, we joined the other to visit poolside.
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