Qalamun was the administrative center of the oasis during the Mamluke and Ottoman periods. It is located on the paved road between Qasr and Mut. There are different stories regarding the origin of the name. The first one is that the two words Qala (the Arabic word for “fort”) and Amun (the ancient Egyptian God) were joined together. Another version says that the name originates from the Arabic word for reed beds, of which a series exist along the main road to the village. A last version says that the name means the place where the priests lost their pens. Among the structures of the old village still preserved there are winding streets, an Ayyubid mosque and a number of houses, including Beit al-Qadi (the house of the judge). There are also some Islamic tombs in the cemetery. Both the old and the new village are built of budbrick (CISS Inventory 2010; Vivian 1990).
Site coordinates: N 25 32 779 E 28 54 335
