Dumat Al Jandal was renowned in the early years of Islam, due to its strategic position in the advance of Islam outside the Peninsula. Three famous Muslim expeditions were mounted against it in Prophet's time.

It was in the third expedition (in 630 AD) that Khalid bin al Walid with his army of 420 riders captured Ukaidir, the then ruler of Duma.

These fine squared masonry characterizes the early parts of Qasr Ma'arid. Use of stone lintels can be seen widely in the castle which is a characteristic style of the architecture.

This cylindrical structure at the roof top of the castle is an entrance of a tunnel. The Qasr Ma'arid and the Mosque of Umar bin al Khatab (the below picture) are said to have been joined by an underground tunnel.

The doorway in the picture is just one meter in height and the purpose of its low height was difficult to comprehend though, one thing I was quite sure that the easiness of enemy's entry to the castle will be controlled by the small passage.

An aerial view of the mosque of Umar bin al Khatab and the quarters (known as 'haras') at Dumat al-Jandal.

The people of the region were distributed in 'quarters' and each quarter were subdivided into smaller quarters. The quarters of Duma were distributed through the oasis which is around 5 km long (seen in the background).