Whether you are on holiday or vacation travel, or in an organized tour or individual
tourists, or businessmen attending a conference or a meeting, the country has much to
offer.
- In and around Amman
- The capital combines its ancient heritage with what a modern city has to offer.
Here you can explore:
The Citadel and the Archeological Museum; The Roman Amphitheater (built 138-161 AD
by Antoninus Pius); The Nymphium; The Cave of the Seven Sleepers;
King Hussein Mosque; King Abdullah Mosque; Iraq el-Amir (Hellenistic ruins built around
187-175 BC); and the entertainment facilities of a modern city.
One can take day trips to:
- Madaba (The City of Mosaics).
- The Decapolis (meaning ten in Greek) cities including Gerasa (Jerash);
Pella (Tabqat Fahl); Gadara (Umm Qais); Capitolias (Beit Ras).
- The Dead Sea and the Baptism Site.
- The Desert Castles.
 Citadel (78K) |
Roman Amphitheater (55K) |
Madaba
For a glimpse into biblical times, a day visit to the Madaba area is a must to see
the:
- many Churches and Mosaics in the city;
- Mount Nebo (Pisgah in the Bible) where Moses stood and gazed over the
Promised Land. It is believed that Prophet Moses was laid to rest;
- Mukawir (Machaerus) where Salome danced in exchange for the head of John
the Baptist on a platter;
- Umm er-Rasas (the Church of St. Stephen).
 Mosaic (111K) |
Jerash
At the Graeco-Roman city of Jerash one can explore:
- The Triumphal Arch: built to honor the arrival of Emperor Hadrian in
129 AD;
- The Colonnaded Street: with the tracks of chariot wheels still visible
in the paving stones;
- The Temple of Zeus and The Temple of Artemis (daughter of Zeus);
- The Church of St. Theodore;
- The Forum; The Nymphium; The Hippodrome; and much more.
 Jerash (72K) |
The Baptism Site
John the Baptist baptized Jesus and his followers near the Jordan River and preached
against sin. Specifically, John told King Herod that he had sinned for marrying his
brother's wife Herodias. She was furious with John. King Herod arrested him and locked
him up in the fortress of Mukawir where he tragically died.
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea lies at the lowest point on earth's surface at 400m below sea level:
- It is believed to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom; Gomorrah;
Admah; Zbouin and Zoar.
- Lot's Sanctuary where Lot and his daughters sought refuge in a cave
after God destroyed Sodom.
- The water is so dense (five to ten times as salty as regular seawater)
that you float effortlessly.
- Kerak and Shobak
- The Kerak Crusader Castle was completed in 1142 AD and the Shobak Crusader castle
was built in 1115 AD by King Baldwin I to control the areas trade routes.
- Petra
- Petra is the most famous and attractive site. Petra (meaning "stone" in
ancient Greek) was carved into the sandstone more than 2000 years ago. The city was
abandoned after being damaged by several earthquakes. The local Beduins guarded
this secret place and refused entry to outsiders. It was rediscovered, in 1812, by the
Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt who entered the city in disguise.
In Petra you can explore:
Al-Khazneh (The Treasury); The Roman Amphitheater; Al-Madbah (The Altar); The
Nymphium & The Royal Tombs; Ad-Dair (The Monastery); Qasr Al-Bint (The Castle of
Pharaoh's daughter); The Shrine of Haroon (Aaron, Moses' brother); Al-Beidah (Little
Petra).
 The Treasury (42K) |
 The Monastery (69K) |
- Wadi Rum
- The largest and most magnificent desert landscape. The only sight as
beautiful as the sunrise in Wadi Rum is the sight of the sunset. Serious trekkers will
be challenged by climbs up to 1,750 meters high. Casual hikers can enjoy an easy course
through the colorful hills and canyons. Naturalists will be drawn in the springtime to
an explosion of many species of wildflowers. Visit the Seven Pillars of Wisdom mountain,
named by Lawrence of Arabia, which was the inspiration for the title of his book.
 View 1 (82K) |
 View 2 (59K) |
- Aqaba
- Aqaba, on the Red Sea, is a flourishing tourist attraction and winter resort with
sandy beaches and coral reefs. Beside marvelous beaches for swimming other water sports
to be experienced include scuba diving, snorkeling, water skiing and wind surfing.
 Coral Reefs (57K) |
 Wind Surfing (47K) |
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