Jordan
Our Top Picks For Jordan
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1 Jerash
One of the best-preserved ancient Roman cities in the Middle East
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2 Mt Nebo
Stand on the site where Moses looked out over the Promised Land
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3 Dead Sea
Try floating in the salty water in the lowest place on earth
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4 Karak
Labyrinthine Crusader castle that dominates the walled town below
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5 Madaba
Mellow small-town vibe that offers wonderful Byzantine mosaics and lots of day trips
Fast Facts about Jordan
- Local name
Al-Mamlakah al- Urdunniyah al- Hashimiyah
- Tourism contributes
10% of GDP and US$800 million to the economy every year
- Land Area
96, 188 sq km
- Cultivated land
4.5%
- Religion
80% Sunni Muslim, 15% Shi'a Muslim, 5% Christian
- Palestinians living in Jordan
1.7 million
- Population
5, 759, 000 (July 2005 est)
- Percentage of Jordanians who have a mobile phone
- Former names
Rabbath Ammon, Philadelphia (the 'City of Brotherly Love')
- Elevation
850m
- Population
1.8 million
Our favourite Jordan Blogs (beta)
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Visiting Petra - the land of rock hewn temples, thousands of ancient treasures... and Indiana Jones
Blog: 501 Places - 29 June 2009
First off... I made a mistake with our itinerary. Petra deserves two days, even for two people who walk and walk all day, and cover large sites very quickly. There is just so much to see here!
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Daily Travel Photo - Petra, Jordan
Blog: Everything Everywhere - 19 May 2009
From the World Heritage inscription: Inhabited since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world’s most famous archaeological [...]
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McArabia: McDonald’s in the Arab World
Blog: Everything Everywhere - 29 April 2009
Since I last wrote about McDonald’s when I was in Dubai, I’ve been in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and Jordan. As all of the McDonald’s in the Arabian Peninsula are owned by the same company, there isn’t a whole lot to add to what I had to say about McDonald’s in Dubai. I [...]
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Introducing Jordan
For many people Jordan begins and ends with the magical ancient Nabataean city of Petra. And it's true, Petra is without doubt one of the Middle East's most spectacular, unmissable sights, battling it out with Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat for the title of the world's most dramatic 'lost city'.
Yet there's so much more to see in Jordan - ruined Roman cities, Crusader castles, desert citadels and powerful biblical sites: the brook where Jesus was baptised, the fortress where Herod beheaded John the Baptist, and the mountain top where Moses cast eyes on the Promised Land. Biblical scenes are not just consigned to the past in Jordan; you'll see plenty of men wearing full-flowing robes and leading herds of livestock across the timeless desert. But it's not all crusty ruins. Jordan's capital Amman is a modern, culturally diverse Arab city which is lightyears away from the typical cliches of Middle Eastern exoticism. The country also offers some of the wildest adventures in the region, as well as an incredibly varied backdrop ranging from the red desert sands of Wadi Rum to the brilliant blues of the coral-filled Gulf of Aqaba; from rich palm-filled wadis to the lifeless Dead Sea. Ultimately it's the sensual delights of daily life in the Middle East that you'll hanker for longest after you return home; the bittersweet taste of cardamom coffee or the smell of a richly scented nargileh (water pipe); the intoxicating swirl of Arabic pop sliding out of an Amman doorway and the deafening silence of the desert.
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Latest headlines for Jordan
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Two men charged with stab murder
3 July 2009 1:52AM
Two men are charged in connection with the death of Jordan Griffiths, 20, who suffered a fatal stab wound at a house in High Wycombe.
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Teen dies on post exams holiday
2 July 2009 5:19PM
A family pays tribute to a student who dies in her sleep on holiday with friends after completing her A-level exams.
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Funeral for Afghanistan soldier
10 June 2009 1:38PM
The funeral of a soldier from West Yorkshire killed in Afghanistan takes place near his home town.
