At one time the complexes were thought to be rural retreats for nomadic rulers and members of ruling families who tired of city life, but, because all of these desert residences now seem to have been located on irrigated estates, in military encampments, and at trade centres, they appear to have served as forts and hunting lodges as well. Besides living quarters, most include a mosque, baths, and an official hall that may have been a throne room or an entertainment room.

Many of the remaining palaces are known for their rich decoration, which often resembles, in larger scale, the patterned textiles used to ornament nomadic tents. The elaborate vaults and domes of the baths at Khirbat al-Mafjar (West Bank), the limestone frieze at Mshattā and the frescoes at Qaṣr ʿAmrah (both in Jordan), and the carved stucco facade of Qaṣr al-Ḥayr (Syria) are some of the best-known features of the extant desert palaces.