Qasr Iraq El-Amir
Located near the narrow fertile valley of Wadi Essair, a contrast to the bare, treeless plateau around Amman to the East. Iraq El-Amir (Cave of the Prince), where eleven caves are carved into the cliff face and Qaser El-Abd (Palace of the Slave) is 10 km down the valley of Wadi Essair.
The Hellenistic ruins of Qaser El-Abd are of an enormous palace thought to have been built by Hyrcanus of the powerful Tobiad family during the 2nd century AD. The name "Tobia" is engraved in Aramaic at the entrance and there is also a carving of a lioness sheltering a cub at the palace. A degree of mystery surrounds the reason of the construction of Qaser El-Abd that was devastated by great earthquake of 362 AD.
