Modern Description:
The Wadi Sir starts at the southwestern edge of Amman (at the '8th Circle'). It is one of the tributaries of the Wadi Naar, which flows westbound into the Jordan River north of the Dead Sea. The Arabic toponym “Sir” preserves the Hellenistic Greek name of Tyros in the Peraea (= 'beyond', i.e. east of the River Jordan). The ancient site, located around 15 kilometres southwest of the Circessian city of Wadi Sir, comprises the small village of Iraq al-Emir. Perched on a rocky spur, the village contains a number of Hellenistic spolia within its modern houses. To the north is a system of partly interconnected caves along the steep northern cliff of the wadi. The site also features a Hellenistic palace nicknamed Qasr al-Abd, meaning 'Palace of the Servant' in Arabic, which is located within a small artificial lake impounded to the west of the riverbed by an impressive 15-metre-high ancient dam (best viewed from the hills to the northwest of Qasr al-Abd). Excavations of the monumental building began in the early 20th century and were completed in the 1980s by Francois Larché and Fawzi Zayadine, who also carried out some restoration work. Its function has been the subject of controversy among researchers (temple, fortress, tomb?). However, the prevailing view is that it was a palace of a notable. The two-storey complex, with staircases in the inner corners, the distyle porticoes in antis on the narrow sides, and the large windows of the upper floor, is reminiscent of the Thalamegos palace ship of Ptolemy IV Philopator (245-205 BCE), as described in ancient texts (https://www.cleopatrakebab.net/thalamegos ). It therefore appears that the Qasr al-Abd is a “petrified” ship structure based on Ptolemaic luxury Nile barges as models. This is also consistent with its location in the middle of the artificial lake and the Alexandrian-influenced architectural ornamentation. The figural decoration in the form of a lion frieze indicates that the building was never completed. The lake palace could be accessed from the south via a narrow causeway with imposing gates at both ends.
Ehud Netzer attributed the entire domain of Iraq al-Emir, comprising the settlement, cave galleries, and lake palace, to a local ruler for use as a pleasure resort, enabling him to present himself in the manner of a Hellenistic ruler. This coincides with Flavius Josephus's narrative (Antiquities IV, 11; XII, 230) about Hyrcanus from the Jewish Tobiad clan, who fled Jerusalem across the River Jordan due to internal conflicts (first quarter of the 2nd century BCE). In Peraea, he established a family estate in the countryside, where he lived in struggle with his Nabataean neighbours. Josephus refers to a palace constructed by Hyrcanus from 'white stone' with animal friezes, gardens, and luxurious installations in nearby cave galleries. Hyrcanus committed suicide after Antiochus IV Epiphanes rose to power in 175 BCE. Thereafter, the estate fell into decline and was utterly destroyed by an earthquake in 363 CE. During the Byzantine period, a church was installed in the ruin of the palace. (by Th. M. Weber-Karyotakis)
Info: Weber-Karyotakis 2025 
Thomas M. Weber-Karyotakis, 2025 correspondence with ToposText editor
