On the way to the north, we made a short stop at Qatrana Castle, located in one of the few towns along the Desert Hwy. It was a former stop on the pilgrim road between Damascus and Mecca. The castle, built in 1531 by the Ottomans, has been nicely restored. But again, it’s slowly becoming a ruin. The visitor center is damaged, and the fencing around it is gone. You can visit the fort since the doors are left open.
Parking location – Al-Qatrana: 31.242363N 36.041176E