Cave of Seven Sleepers
- Address
- Price
- free
- Hours
- 8am-6pm
Lonely Planet review for Cave of Seven Sleepers
The legend of the ‘seven sleepers’ has several parallels throughout literature. It involves seven Christian boys who were persecuted by the Roman Emperor Trajan, then escaped to a cave and slept there for 309 years. This is one of several locations (the most famous being Ephesus in Turkey) that claim to be that cave. Inside the main cave – also known as Ahl al-Kahf (Cave of the People) – are eight smaller tombs that are sealed, though one has a hole in it through which you can see a creepy collection of human bones. Above and below the cave are the remains of two mosques. About 500m west of the cave is a large Byzantine cemetery, whose tombs are sadly full of rubbish. The cave is to the right of a large new mosque complex in the village of Rajib, off the road from Amman to Sabah. Buses from Amman to Sabah pass 500m from the mosque; catch them at Wahadat bus station (less than JD1, 15 minutes). Alternatively, take a minibus from Quraysh St in downtown, ask for ‘al-Kahf’ and the driver will show you where to get off to change for a Sabah bus. The easiest way there is by chartered taxi (around JD5 each way).

