Jordan
Part of the neighbouring fort complex in Hallabat, this hammam (bathhouse) has been extensively restored, revealing the underfloor piping system that was…
Must-see attractions in Jordan
Madaba
Walkways lead around the ruins of this late-6th-century luxury private mansion, destroyed by fire and earthquake around 749. The walkways offer a good…
Madaba
Housed in several old Madaba residences, this museum features a 6th-century mosaic depicting a naked satyr; a saucy (and partly damaged) mosaic of Ariadne…
Amman
The Hejaz Railway once ferried pilgrims from Damascus in Syria to Amman and then on to Medina in Saudi Arabia, but only the breeze rolls through this…
Wadi Rum
On a small hill in Rum village, about 400m behind the Rest House (follow the telephone poles), are the limited ruins of a 2000-year-old temple, dedicated…
Mt Nebo
This new ethnographic diorama, 2km before Mt Nebo on the Nebo–Madaba road, features an exhibition of tableaux billed as depictions of the religious,…
Jordan
Easily the most impressive of the lesser-known castles, Tuba lies approximately 75km southeast of Amman and captures the sense of a staging post on long…
Dead Sea Highway
For a solid introduction to the geology, history and environment of the Dead Sea, spare an hour for this museum.
Umm Qais
Surrounding the museum are the comprehensive ruins of an Ottoman village dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Two houses, Beit Malkawi (now used as an…
Jerash
On the eastern side of the cardo maximus lie the earthquake-stricken remains of the Western Baths. Dating from the 2nd century AD, the baths were once an…
Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art & Restoration
Madaba
Originally set up as a school in 1992 by the Jordanian government, this institute trains Jordanian artists in the production and restoration of mosaics,…
Jerash
The south decumanus at Jerash once served as the Roman town's main east–west axis. At the eastern end is the modern mosque. Take the left fork from the…
Amman
The simple and solemn Martyr’s Monument Museum houses a small but interesting collection of documents, chronicling Jordan’s recent military history…
Jerash
South of the nymphaeum, an elaborate staircase rises from the cardo maximus to Jerash's only cathedral. Little more than a modest Byzantine church, it was…
Aqaba
To the untrained eye, these ruins look unprepossessing to say the least, but archaeologists maintain that the remains of this ancient mud-brick complex…
Jordan
The Umm Ar Rasas site spans the expansive ruins of Kastron Mefaa (mentioned in the Bible as the Roman military outpost of Mephaath). The ruins encompass…
Wadi Musa
Moses' Spring is one of two possible locations in Jordan for the site where Moses supposedly struck the rock with his staff and water gushed forth to the…
Aqaba
Located along the Corniche and incongruously squeezed between the marina and the Mövenpick Resort Hotel, Ayla is the site of the ancient port of Aqaba…
Dead Sea Highway
Near the start of the climb up to Lot's Cave is the literally titled Lowest Point on Earth Museum. Shaped like a giant stone comma, it contains…
Jordan
Once a grand Umayyad settlement, today Mushash lies in ruin. However, it’s still possible to get a sense of the original layout, and there are a number of…
Umm Qais
A bit of imagination is needed to reconstruct the colonnaded courtyard of the Basilica Terrace, the western section of which housed a row of shops. The…
Aqaba
This free museum, in the shadow of the giant flagpole, is moderately diverting. There are some fascinating period photos of Aqaba, including at the time…
Jordan
One of the few towns along the Desert Hwy is Qatrana, a couple of kilometres north of the turn-off to Karak and a former stop on the pilgrim road between…
Amman
Built by King Abdullah I in 1924 and restored in 1987, this compact mosque is in the heart of downtown on the site of an earlier mosque built in AD 640…
Amman
About 4km west of Wadi As Seer, on the road to the village of Iraq Al Amir, you can spot part of an ancient Roman aqueduct, testament to Rome's success at…
Amman
On the eastern side of Amman's Forum stands a 500-seat odeon. Built in the 2nd century AD, it served mainly as a venue for musical performances. It was…
Umm Qais
West along the decumanus maximus are the overgrown public baths. Built in the 4th century, this would once have been an impressive complex of fountains …
Jordan
Despite the surrounding desert, a semi-permanent water pool persists here in a depression surround by black lava stones. Its unmissable feature is the…
Jordan
Set up to host occasional cultural events, Beit Arar is located off Al Hashemi St in a superb old Damascene-style house. The rooms are set around a…
Jerash
This archway with four entrances was built over the intersection of Jerash's cardo maximus (the main north–south axis) and the north decumanus (an east…
Jerash
Jerash's Eastern Baths lie outside the gated city on the other side of the wadi in the modern town. They are lit up at night and are interestingly…
Jerash
At the eastern end of the south decumanus is a modern mosque, a reminder of how Jordan has embraced many religions over the years and continues to…
Jerash
Little remains of this church apart from the twin colonnades (picturesquely overgrown with wildflowers in spring) and the apse, which overlooks the…
Umm Qais
The thick stone doors of this Roman tomb outside the main archaeological area still swing on ancient hinges. Nearby are the less notable tombs of Germani…
Jerash
The unassuming walls of these buildings don't look especially noteworthy, but they're interesting for adding another level of historical accretion in…
Amman
Near the Citadel's archaeological museum is the small Byzantine Basilica, most of which has been destroyed by earthquakes. It dates from the 6th or 7th…
Sharif Al Hussein Bin Ali Mosque
Aqaba
This grand and beautiful gleaming white mosque – an icon of Aqaba – is named for the great-great-grandfather of the current king, the emir of Mecca who…
Umm Qais
The North Theatre is overgrown and missing much of its original black-basalt stones, which were recycled by villagers in other constructions, but it's…
Umm Qais
The shells of a row of shops remain in the western section of what was once the colonnaded courtyard of the Basilica Terrace.
Wadi Rum
Close to Rum village, the labyrinthine siqs of Rakhabat Canyon give access to the heart of Jebel Umm Al Ishrin.
