. . "It was used as an eye of the king during the Umayyad era, to control the movement of the desert tribes and to be a barrier against them, as well as being a hunting chalet. Later it was utilized by the Ayyubids and the Mamelukes but was abandoned permanently after the Mongol invasions. Not much remained from the castle. Only visible is a reservoir to collect waters from Harbaka dam, a bath and a khan. The gateway is presently preserved as a fa\u00E7ade in the National Museum of Damascus."@en . . "Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi"@en . . . . "It was used as an eye of the king during the Umayyad era, to control the movement of the desert tribes and to be a barrier against them, as well as being a hunting chalet. Later it was utilized by the Ayyubids and the Mamelukes but was abandoned permanently after the Mongol invasions. The castle is quadrangular in outline with 70-meter sides. The central doorway to the castle is very attractive, and has been moved to the National Museum of Damascus to be used as the entrance. Its semi-cylindrical towers on the sides of the doorway, columns, and the geometric shapes mirrored a blend of Persian, Byzantine and Arab architecture. Not much remained from the castle. Only visible is a reservoir to collect waters from Harbaka dam, a bath and a khan. The gateway is presently preserved as a fa\u00E7ade in the National Museum of Damascus."@en . . . . .