Sights in Jordan
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Wadi Rum Protected Area
Admission to Wadi Rum Protected Area is strictly controlled and all vehicles, camels and guides must be arranged either through or with the approval of the visitor centre. Essential items to bring along include a hat, preferably with a brim or a flap to keep the sun off your neck, sunscreen, sturdy footwear and plenty of water. If you are camping (including at the rest house), bring along a torch (flashlight), a book to read and a padlock (many tents are lockable).
reviewed
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Romantheatre
The restored RomanTheatre is the most obvious and impressive remnant of Roman Philadelphia, and is the highlight of Amman for most foreign visitors. The theatre itself is cut into the northern side of a hill that once served as a necropolis and has a seating capacity of 6000. It was built on three tiers: the rulers, of course, sat closest to the action, the military had the middle section and the general public sat perched, squinting, way up the top. The theatre was probably built in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 138–61). Theatres often had religious significance, and the small shrine above the top row of seats once housed a statue of the…
reviewed
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Karak Castle
The entrance to the Karak Castle is at the southern end of Al Qala’a St. Throughout the castle, informative display boards give detailed descriptions of the history and function of each structure. Bring a torch (flashlight) to explore the darker regions, and watch your head on low doorways. Reconstruction and excavation work within the castle is ongoing. The main entrance, Ottoman’s Gate, is reached via a bridge over the dry moat. The Crusader’s Gate (old entrance) is not open to the public. From Ottoman’s Gate, pass the ticket office and take the path to the left. Resist the temptation to head into the vaulted corridor straight ahead and instead turn left and…
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Citadel (Jebel al-Qala'a)
The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel al-Qala’a (about 850m above sea level), and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon. Artefacts dating from the Bronze Age show that the hill was a fortress and/or agora (open space for commerce and politics) for thousands of years. The complex is surrounded by 1700m-long walls, which were rebuilt many times during the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods. The Citadel ticket office is on the road leading up to the Citadel’s entrance. The Citadel’s most impressive series of historic buildings is the UmayyadPalace, which stretches out behind the National Archaeological…
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Dana Nature Reserve
The Dana Nature Reserve is one of Jordan’s hidden gems. The focal point of the reserve is the charming 15th-century stone village of Dana, which dangles beneath the King’s Highway on a precipice, commanding exceptional views of the valley below. The reserve is the largest in Jordan and includes a variety of terrain, from sandstone cliffs over 1500m high near Dana to a low point of 50m below sea level in Wadi Araba. Sheltered within the red rock escarpments are protected valleys that are home to a surprisingly diverse ecosystem. About 600 species of plants (ranging from citrus trees and juniper, to desert acacias and date palms) thrive in the reserve, together with 180…
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National Archaeological Museum
The National Archaeological Museum is just northwest of the Temple of Hercules. It has a good collection of items spanning all eras of Jordanian and regional history, ranging from 6000-year-old skulls from Jericho to Umayyad period artwork. It also boasts some examples of the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran in 1952, a copy of the Mesha Stele and assorted artefacts from Petra and Jerash. Most exhibits are well labelled in English.
Pride of place are three of the Ain Ghazal statues, which date back to 6500 BC as some of the world's earliest sculpture. Finds from the Citadel itself include the head from a statue of the Greek goddess Tyche and some Egyptian-style carvings.
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St George's Church & Mosaic Map
It’s easy to understand why this rather modest 19th-century Greek Orthodox church has such a magnetic attraction. Imagine the excitement in 1884 when Christian builders came across the remnants of an old Byzantine church on the site of their new construction. Among the rubble, having survived wilful destruction, fire and neglect, the mosaic they discovered wasn’t just another mosaic, it was one with extraordinary significance: to this day, it represents the oldest map of Palestine in existence and provides many historical insights into the region.
reviewed
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E
Forum
The row of columns immediately in front (north) of the Roman Theatre is all that's left of the Forum, once one of the largest public squares (about 100m by 50m) in Imperial Rome. Built in AD 190, the square was flanked on three sides by columns, and on the fourth side by the Seil Amman stream; almost everything (including the stream, which still runs) lies underneath the modern streets.
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Shobak Castle
Perched in a wild, remote landscape, Shobak Castle wins over even the most castle-weary, despite being less complete than its sister fortification at Karak. Formerly called Mons Realis (Mont Real, or Montreal – the Royal Mountain), it was built by the Crusader king Baldwin I in AD 1115. It withstood numerous attacks from the armies of Saladin before succumbing in 1189 (a year after Karak), after an 18-month siege. It was later occupied in the 14th century by the Mamluks, who built over many of the Crusader buildings. Built on a small knoll at the edge of a plateau, the castle is especially imposing when seen from a distance. Restoration work is ongoing and hopefully…
reviewed
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Qasr al-Mushatta
Of the five major desert castles, the ‘winter palace’ of Qasral-Mushatta is the most difficult and time consuming to reach, and thus usually not part of most organised tours. But this is not to say that Mushatta is located in the middle of nowhere – on the contrary, it’s actually the closest of the desert castles to Amman. In fact, if you’re travelling around Jordan in a rental car, the ruins may be the last thing you see in the country as they’re located right next to Queen Alia International Airport! The construction of Qasr al-Mushatta is believed to have started in about AD 743, under Caliph Walid II, who intended to establish a large city in the area. Although the…
reviewed
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Greek Orthodox Church
This 19th-century Greek Orthodox church was built over a Byzantine church.
Unearthed in 1884, the mosaic on the church floor was a clear map with 157 captions (in Greek) depicting all the major biblical sites of the Middle East. The mosaic was constructed in AD 560, and was originally around 25m long (some experts claim 15m is more accurate) and 6m wide. It once contained more than two million pieces but only one-third of the original mosaic has survived.
The map itself, while of enormous historical significance, can be difficult to take in with all its fragments. It's definitely worth seeing, but you need to take your time to get the map's bearing. A room across from the…
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Qasr Burqu
You have to be pretty dedicated to visit this brooding black basalt fort, which stands guard over the silent shores of Ghadir (Lake) Burqu. Of course, the apparent incongruity of the lake in the harsh desert is what makes this place so special. With a tent, some basic survival gear and a reliable 4WD, you could have a serious adventure out here. It is precisely for this reason that the RSCN has been fighting to establish Burqu as a protected reserve, which would fit nicely into its plans to develop tourism in the Eastern Desert. At the time of writing, however, it was not possible to organise trips to Qasr Burqu from the RSCN base in Azraq, though this may change in the…
reviewed
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Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan (Al-Maghtas)
Whatever one’s religious persuasions, it’s hard not to be moved by this minimal pile of ruins with its preposterously long name. This is the site, archaeologists assure us, where John the Baptist preached, where Jesus was baptised, where the first five apostles met and where, thereby, the foundations of the early Christian faith were laid. They chose an auspicious spot as many also believe that this was the place from where prophet Elijah (who was born in Mar Elias in north Jordan) ascended to heaven in a whirlwind. Although John was later beheaded by Herod at Machaerus and Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, the meeting between the two men at this spot in the fertile…
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Azraq Wetland Reserve
For several millennia, the Qa’al Azraq (Azraq Basin) comprised a huge area of mudflats, pools and marshlands, which lead to the establishment of Azraq as one of the most important oasis towns in the Levant. Although the basin was declared an ‘internationally important wetland’ by the Jordanian government in 1977, this largely token gesture couldn’t stop the horrific environmental destruction that was being wrought on the area. In an effort to provide fresh drinking water to the burgeoning cities of Amman and Irbid, the wetlands suffered appalling ecological damage in a remarkably short time, and were virtually bone dry by 1991. In recent years, the RSCN has seized…
reviewed
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Dibeen Nature Reserve
Established in 2004, this small area (no more than 8 sq km) of Aleppo pine and oak forest is Jordan’s newest nature reserve. Managed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), Dibeen is representative of the wild forests that once covered much of the country’s northern frontiers. Despite its small size, however, the reserve is recognised as a national biodiversity hot spot, and protects 17 endangered animals (including the Persian squirrel) and several rare orchids. As Dibeen is still very much a work in progress, facilities are currently limited compared with other RSCN reserves. It’s best to check in advance with the RSCN through the Wild Jordan Centre…
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Khirbet Tannour
Travelling south from Karak, the King’s Highway gradually descends from a brooding piece of black volcanic hillside into the impressive but arid Wadi Hasa (the biblical Zered Valley). Attempts at tomato growing are in evidence but it’s hard to encourage the rocky topsoil into production, and the discarded and wind-strewn strips of plastic are a sorry blight on an otherwise wild landscape. The highway skirts a reservoir, above which looms a small, conical-shaped hill. A track leads off to the right of the highway from where a steep 15-minute hike leads to the top of the hill. At the top are the neglected ruins of the 2000-year-old Nabataean temple of Khirbet Tannour. A…
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Qusayr Kharana
Located in the middle of a vast, treeless plain, this mighty fortress was most likely the inspiration for the somewhat incorrect ‘desert castles’ moniker. The intimidating two-storey structure is marked by round, defensive towers and narrow windows that appear to be arrow slits. If you take a closer look, however, you’ll soon realise that the towers are completely solid, which means that they couldn’t be manned by armed soldiers. Furthermore, it would be impossible to fire bows from the bizarrely shaped ‘arrow slits', meaning that they most likely served as air and light ducts. Although it clearly isn’t a castle, Kharana was nevertheless a vital building for the…
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Qasr al-Tuba
Easily the most impressive of the lesser-known castles, Tuba is located approximately 75km southeast of Amman in the absolute middle of nowhere. This is precisely why it’s worth making an expedition out here – with little to no surrounding development, Tuba captures the original essence of ‘luxury in the desert’ that drove the Umayyads to launch their massive building campaign. Tuba was erected by Caliph Walid II in about AD 743, though like Qasr al-Mushatta, it was left to waste following his sudden assassination. Despite its seemingly remote location, however, the castle was probably going to be a caravanserai, which would have served as a vital staging post on the…
reviewed
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Dead Sea Panorama
Walk among the cacti to this lookout, high above the Dead Sea, watch the raptors wheel in the wadis below and you will have to pinch yourself to think that you are standing at sea level. This wonderful museum and restaurant complex offers some breathtaking views, especially on a crisp day in winter when the Judaea Mountains across the water seem as if they are an arm’s stretch away. For an excellent introduction to the geology, history and environment of the Dead Sea, spare an hour for the Dead Sea Museum (8am-4.30pm) and lay hands on a set of touchable stones. Drive the roads in the area and you’ll notice the rich pattern, texture and hue of the exposed rocks…
reviewed
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Shaumari Wildlife Reserve
Established in 1975 by the RSCN, the 22 sq km Shaumari Wildlife Reserve aims to reintroduce wildlife that has disappeared from the region, most notably the highly endangered Arabian oryx. Despite intense funding hurdles, natural predators and the continuous threat of poaching, oryx, Persian onagers (wild ass), goitered gazelle and ostrich have flourished here – a testament to RSCN efforts. Shaumari’s small size means that it is not the place to go to see wildlife roaming the plains unhindered, but it is certainly worth a visit, even if only to catch a rare glimpse of some of the region’s most endangered wildlife. The environmentally significant work being conducted…
reviewed
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Qusayr Amra
One of the best-preserved desert buildings of the Umayyads, the Unesco World Heritage Site of Qusayr Amra is the highlight of any trip out into the Eastern Desert. Part of a much greater complex that served as a caravanserai, bathhouse and hunting lodge, the qusayr (little castle) is famous for its hedonistic (and somewhat risqué) 8th-century frescoes of wine, women and wild good times. According to some historians, only out here in the isolated wilds of the desert did the caliphs feel comfortable about flouting Islam’s edicts. Qusayr Amra seems to rise incongruously from the parched, dry desert plains, though in ancient times the site was adjacent to a lush wadi…
reviewed
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Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve
This wonderful reserve, which ranges from an altitude of 900m above sea level to 400m below, was originally established by the RSCN for the captive breeding of the Nubian ibex, but it also supports a surprising variety of over 400 species of plants (including rare orchids), 186 species of birds and 250 animal species, including the Syrian wolf, striped hyena, caracal and Blandford’s fox. It’s also an important staging post for migratory birds travelling between Africa and Europe. The reserve faces several challenges but it’s encouraging to see parties of schoolchildren here, as the future of Jordan’s ecological heritage is in their hands. The visitor centre is along…
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Petra
Petra is the sort of place that usually exists only in the imagination. This unique ancient city was hewn from a towering rock wall; few of the imposing facades of its great buildings are freestanding. Make sure you take as much film as you can carry because every nook and cranny is a Kodak moment.
It's hard to overrate Petra. There's no other sight in Jordan, or perhaps the whole Middle East, as compelling - the locals know it, and they'll charge you accordingly. Once the capital of the Nabateaeans, a 3rd century BC Arab dynasty, Petra was forgotten for 1000 years and only rediscovered in 1812. It raised its public profile with an appearance in the movie Indiana Jones &…
reviewed
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Qasr al-Abad
The small but impressive Qasr al-Abad, west of Amman, is one of the very few examples of pre-Roman construction in Jordan. Mystery surrounds the palace, and even its precise age isn’t known, though most scholars believe that Hyrcanus of the powerful Jewish Tobiad family built it sometime between 187 and 175 BC as a villa or fortified palace. Although never completed, much of the palace has been reconstructed, and remains an impressive site. The palace was built from some of the biggest blocks of any ancient structure in the Middle East – the largest is 7m by 3m. The blocks were, however, only 20cm or so thick, making the whole edifice quite flimsy, and susceptible…
reviewed
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Abila (Quwayliba)
Lying just 10km north of Irbid, between the twin hills of Tell Abila and Tell Umm-al-Amad, are the ancient remains of the Decapolis city of Abila. At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking that this site could only be enjoyed by the committed ruin hunter or the aspiring archaeologist. Indeed, little remains of this once-great city, especially since the earthquake of AD 747 did a pretty thorough job of turning Abila into a rock-strewn field. To date, much of Abila remains largely unexcavated and the site certainly isn’t set up for visitors, though you don’t need a guide to find the Roman-Byzantine theatre or the scattered remains of columns from the markets,…
reviewed