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ATTRACTIONS
Amman,
Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a fascinating city of contrasts – a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley. Due to the city’s modern-day prosperity and temperate climate, almost half of Jordan’s population is concentrated in the Amman area. The residential suburbs consist of mainly tree-lined street and avenues flanked by elegant, almost uniformly white houses, in accordance with a municipal law, which states that all buildings must be faced with local stone.
Karak
An ancient Crusader stronghold, Karak sits 900m above sea level and lies inside the walls of the old city. The city today is home to around 170,000 people and continues to boast a number of restored 19th century Ottoman buildings, restaurants, places to stay, and the like. But it is undoubtedly Karak Castle which dominates. The town is built on a triangular plateau, with the castle at its narrow southern tip. The castle is some 220m long, 125m wide at the north end, and 40m wide at the southern end where a narrow valley deepened by a ditch separates it from the adjoining and much higher hill – once Saladin's favourite artillery position. Throughout the castle, dark and roughly shaped Crusader masonry is easy to discern from the finely crafted blocks of lighter and softer limestone used in later Arab work. While the castle we see today essentially dates back to the 12th century, Karak has been a fortress since biblical times. The Bible relates how the King of Israel and his allies from Judah and Edom ravaged Moab and besieged its king Mesha in the fortress of Kir Heres, as Karak was then known.
Madaba
Just 30 kilometres from Amman, along the 5,000-year-old Kings´ Highway, is one of the most memorable places in the Holy Land. After passing through a string of ancient sites, the first city you reach is Madaba, known as the “City of Mosaics". Best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, Madaba is home to the famous 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. With two million pieces of vividly colored local stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta.The Madaba Mosaic Map covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, which is located northwest of the city centre. The church was built in 1896 AD, over the remains of a much earlier 6th century Byzantine church. The mosaic panel enclosing the Map was originally around 15.6 X 6m, 94 square meters, only about a quarter of which is preserved. the Orthodox Church of St George’s mosaic map of Jerusalem and surrounding land, is the earliest original map of the Holy Land to survive from antiquity. Mount Nebo
Ten minutes by car west of Madaba, was the final station in the life of the prophet Moses, the “friend of God” (Deuteronomy 32:49), though the location of his tomb remains unknown. From Mr. Nebo’s wind – swept promontory overlooking the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley and the hills of Jerusalem, Moses viewed the Promised Land that he would never enter. A small church was built in the 4th century AD to commemorate this sacred spot, and has expanded into the current church with its stunning collection of Byzantine mosaics
The King’s Highway through Ammon Moab and Edom
The king’s Highway, the world’s oldest continuously used communication route, was first mentioned in Genesis 14 and Numbers 20. Moses’ request to the king of Edom to “travel along the king’s highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory” was turned down, but visitors today are welcome to make the journey along the scenic road as it winds, dips, twists and rambles through the heart of Jordan, form Ammon to Moab to Edom. Jerash
Close to Petra on the list of favourite destinations in Jordan, the ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. Jerash lies on a plain surrounded by hilly wooded areas and fertile basins. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities, the Decapolis League. The city's golden age came under Roman rule, during which time it was known as Gerasa, and the site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates.
Wadi Rum
cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south west Jordan the Wadi Rum area has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times. Wadi Rum is probably best known to many people because of its connection with the British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Arab Revolt of 1917-18. The area is now also one of Jordan's important tourist destinations, and attracts an increasing number of foreign tourists. Popular activities in the desert environment include camping under the stars, the riding of Arab horses, hiking and rock-climbing amongst the massive rock formations.The village of Wadi Rum consists of several hundred Bedouin inhabitants.
Petra
Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, Petra is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture. Inhabited since prehistoric times, Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1 kilometre in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80 metres high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colours and formations of the rocks are dazzling. As you reach the end of the Siq you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury). Petra is without doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction.
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