ABSTRACT
The functions of the Umayyad ‘desert castles’ of Greater Syria are still a matter of debate. They have been variously interpreted as hunting lodges, retreats for a hedonistic way of life, road stations, meeting places for the caliphs, or agricultural estates. Renewed archaeological investigations at a number of these sites and a broader approach taking into consideration not only the residences or palaces, but also all the surrounding structures now means that a different picture of their layout, roles, and functions can be presented. This chapter will investigate in more detail two of these functions, the economic and the political.
