In particular, it reveals that the security arrangements were overhauled after the empire had weathered 50 years of turmoil, which included invasion, civil war, and violent political instability. As well as providing unequivocal evidence for when the fort was founded, this helps us to date the whole framework of defence in this section of the eastern frontier. The inscription over the main entrance tells us that the installation, Castra Praetorium Mobene by name, was built during the reign of the emperor Diocletian and his colleagues between 293 and 305, under the governor of the province of Arabia. At the very bottom of the visible section of rampart, just above the rubble mound, the tops of mangers set into the wall are visible. The remains of rooms built against the fort rampart. Preservation is such that visitors can still observe the small hole in the stone door jambs where a piece of leather could hold the door fast.
These have three rooms on each floor, and it remains possible to climb to the top via a set of stairs and landings arranged around a central column in a manner likened to a ‘square spiral staircase’. The great corner towers would also have made an impression. This massive masonry may have been intended to overawe onlookers the inside walls, however, were plastered. Some of these stones are enormous – megalithic is an appropriate description. The same cannot be said of the masonry used to build it. It is almost square in plan, measuring about 57m by 54m, which is small by Roman fort standards. IMAGE: courtesy of David J Breeze A desert fortĮxploring the ruins of Qasr Bshir reveals much about this military post. Standing behind him are the three authors of this feature: Fawzi Abudanah, David J Breeze, and Mark Driessen. In September 2022, HRH Prince Hassan of Jordan launched a new volume dedicated to the eastern frontiers of the Roman empire. Here the three promoters of the project explain the history of Qasr Bshir, its importance, and their plans for its future. Within days, HRH Prince Hassan had agreed to be patron of the newly named Qasr Bshir Conservation Project, Richard Beleson had offered a grant to cover the cost of the conservation of the entrance, and a group of international Roman scholars had agreed to offer their names to a support group (see ‘Further information’ box).
The following day, they visited Qasr Bshir, noted deterioration of the dedication slab, and decided that it was time to tackle its conservation. Three of the authors were present: Fawzi Abudanah of Al-Hussain bin Talal University, Mark Driessen of Leiden University, and David Breeze. On 28 September 2022, HRH Prince Hassan of Jordan launched a new publication, The Frontiers of the Roman Empire: The Eastern Frontiers, in Amman. IMAGE: Rien PolakĮfforts to address these have recently gained momentum. This map, created by Rien Polak, shows Roman frontier fortifications in the vicinity of Qasr Bshir from the late 3rd to the 6th century AD. It is just one of several conservation concerns that have been flagged up.
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How long this will remain the case is a different matter, as the inscription is cracked in two places. Erecting such texts was once standard practice, but now Qasr Bshir finds itself unique as the sole example of a Roman fort where the original building inscription is in situ over the gateway. Its imposing corner towers still stand three storeys – that is, 13m – high, while a Latin dedication slab commemorating the construction of the post still greets anyone passing through the main entrance. While a powerful imagination is often essential for visitors seeking to appreciate the former scale of even comparatively well-preserved Roman forts, Qasr Bshir is different. Today, the fort offers an iconic example of a Roman military installation. The magnificent ruins of the Roman fort at Qasr Bshir lie in the sweeping expanse of Jordanian desert, raising questions about why it was built there.
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