History
Wadi Rum was first possibly mentioned in Ptolemy's Geography as 'Aramaua', and, according to some Islamic scholars, is mentioned in the Quran as 'Ad'. Excavations have confirmed that the area was inhabited between 800 and 600 BC, when it was known as Iram, and was popular with travellers because of the abundance of springs and wild game. By about the 4th century BC Wadi Rum was settled by the Nabataeans, who built temples and left behind inscriptions on the rocks - many of which can still be seen.
The region is probably more famous because the indefatigable TE Lawrence stayed here in 1917. The serendipit- ous discovery of a Nabataean temple (behind the Rest House) in 1933 returned the spotlight to the desert but the temple was not completely excavated until 1997, by a team of French archaeologists.
Wadi Rum
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