Eight days in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was a great way to wrap up a six week trip to Northern Africa and the Middle East. Through the Australian-based intrepidtravel.com, I joined a wonderful group of ten other travelers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US to explore three main parts of the country: the southern desert at Wadi Rum, the ancient city of Petra, and the northern cities of Amman, Madaba, and Jerash. Along the way, we also stopped at interesting places like the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, a few castles and other historic sites, a few biblical sites, and more.
My personal favorites were Wadi Rum and Petra: They were tied for first place! But pretty much all the places we visited were fun and interesting. Here's a summary; you can find more pictures and information in the links at the end of this photo blog
On our first travel day, I met up with our Intrepid tour group, and we headed south to Aqaba for some amazing snorkeling in the coral reef there. Aqaba is at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, which connects to the Red Sea and international shipping routes
Jordan has only about 26 km / 16 mi of shoreline, and it is all along the Gulf of Aqaba. The ports here provide Jordan's only access to the Red Sea and international shipping. Aqaba is also a popular swimming / snorkeling / diving destination; that was why we stopped here
Snorkeling around the coral at Aqaba. It was abundant, just offshore and gorgeous!
Fish of all sorts swimming around the coral
On the way to Aqaba, we passed this view of the Jordan Rift Valley, located at the boundary between the African and the Arabian tectonic plates. It extends from Turkey in the north to the Red Sea in the south, and passes along the length of Jordan. The Jordan River flows along the rift valley, and the Dead Sea, at 1,300 feet / 400 meters below sea level, is at the lowest point along the valley
Mountain scenery along our desert walk
Desert Moonscape: The Wadi Rum desert was used to shoot movies such as Dune, The Martian, Aladdin, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Lawrence of Arabia
Another Moonscape
Sheik Mohammed was our Bedouin host and primary guide during our stay at Wadi Rum. He and his tribe have an arrangement with the Jordanian government to provide hospitality and guide services in the protected area. Here he is seated in the same spot that Peter O'Toole sat in for some of the publicity shots in the movie "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962).
Desert Magic along our 4x4 ride
More Desert Magic: We were able to climb several peaks and arches during our visit here
Petroglyphs in a slot canyon in the desert
The Siq at Petra is a beautiful 1.5 km sandstone gorge that led camel trains and other travelers to the Treasury facade and the city of Petra
Approaching the Treasury, probably the most famous facade in Petra
The Treasury was intended to impress merchants and traders who would come to Petra for protection and provisions as they transported goods, especially spices and silk, from eastern Asia to major cities in the Greek and Roman empires
The amphitheater in Petra was carved out of sandstone, not built out of stones. It is the only carved amphitheater in the world. It was used for entertainment and performances; it had a 2,500 person seating capacityAd Deir, aka the Monastery, is one of the largest monuments in Petra, probably built for religious rituals and ceremonies. It has a larger interior than the tombs. After Constantine's Christianization of the Roman world, it was used as a chapel. It was probably never actually used as a monastery, despite its name. You get to the Monastery from the center of Petra by climbing about 850 steps.
Most of the houses and shops in ancient Petra were masonry, and they were mostly reduced to rubble after a series of earthquakes that hit the region. Qasr al-Bint, a large temple, is the only large masonry building that survived the big earthquake around 360 CE, probably because it had a layer of timber halfway up the building. The timber may have absorbed the shock waves enough to keep the walls from falling down
Nina (l) and Tracey getting muddied up in preparation for a very salty rinse
I also got mucked up
Kieren and Hannah got rinsed off in the ultra salty water
The Dead Sea, with mud-covered people rinsing off and floating around. Israel is on the far side, about 12 km / 8 miles away
St George's Greek Orthodox Church, Madaba. This church has a mosaic map of Israel inlaid on the sanctuary floor. The map is the most famous of hundreds of surviving mosaics in Madaba, aka "the Mosaic City"
The floor of St George's (Orthodox) Church has a mosaic map of Israel, Jordan, and parts of Egypt on it. It has over two million pieces of colored ceramic tile in it; it was inlaid around 560 AD
Hadrian's Arch, built in 130 AD, was one of the main entrances to the ancient city of Jarash
The spectator section of the Hippodrome (sports arena) in Jarash, where races and contests were held. Approximately 15,000 spectators could be seated around the long oval track
The main entrance to the ruins of the Cathedral of St Mary, in Jerash. The cathedral was built around 450 AD on the foundations of at least two previous temples, and material from those earlier temples was used to build the cathedral
The Odeon, aka the North Theatre was used primarily for governmental meetings, but was also used for musical and theatrical performances. The Odeon seated up to 1,600 spectators
Yazan, our guide, gazing in the direction of Jerusalem (on his left) and Jericho (on his right).
A view of "the Promised Land," from the top of Mt Nebo. Moses looked over the promised land after leading the Hebrew people out of Egypt. He died and was buried on this mountain
Elijah's Hill, where the prophet was taken up to heaven and where John the Baptist lived (in a cave), preached, and baptized people who believed in the coming Messiah.
The place traditionally believed to be where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. This area, known as Bethany Beyond the Jordan, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2015. It received the designation because of the importance of Christianity in world history and the importance of baptism as a mark of membership in the Christian tradition
The Jordan River now. Rivers tend to meander and move over time because of continuous erosion. People from around the world come here as part of a spiritual journey or pilgrimage; many choose to be baptized or rebaptized while they are here. We were able to watch several people doing so while we were here. Israel is just across the river
The King Abdullah Mosque in Amman, completed in 1989.
Inside the King Abdullah Mosque: Capacity 10,000 people. The place is beautiful and huge!
The Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church (2005) is across the street from the Mosque. It serves about 8,000 members of the Coptic (mainly Egyptian) community in Amman. Its location underscores its commitment to peace and ecumenical dialogue
Inside the Coptic Orthodox Church. Seating capacity is probably in the 600 to 800 person range
The walls of the Amman Citadel, a huge fortified castle overlooking the city. It is now mostly a set of ruins with a few surviving structures
The Roman Theatre in Amman, as seen from the Citadel. Seating capacity: 6,000. It was built in the second century, during the time of the Roman empire. At that time, Amman was called Philadelphia
The Abdoun Bridge (opened 2006) is Jordan's only cable-stayed bridge; it crosses over the Wadi Abdoun. The Wadi (a usually dry river bed) separates central Amman and the much wealthier western part of the city.
A few of us celebrating Tracey's birthday over a wonderful meal at the Jaw Zaman Restaurant in Madaba
From Jordan Map: https://www.mapsofworld.com/amp/jordan/
My personal favorites were Wadi Rum and Petra: They were tied for first place! But pretty much all the places we visited were fun and interesting. Here's a summary; you can find more pictures and information in the links at the end of this photo blog
AQABA
On our first travel day, I met up with our Intrepid tour group, and we headed south to Aqaba for some amazing snorkeling in the coral reef there. Aqaba is at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, which connects to the Red Sea and international shipping routes
Jordan has only about 26 km / 16 mi of shoreline, and it is all along the Gulf of Aqaba. The ports here provide Jordan's only access to the Red Sea and international shipping. Aqaba is also a popular swimming / snorkeling / diving destination; that was why we stopped here
Snorkeling around the coral at Aqaba. It was abundant, just offshore and gorgeous!
Fish of all sorts swimming around the coral
On the way to Aqaba, we passed this view of the Jordan Rift Valley, located at the boundary between the African and the Arabian tectonic plates. It extends from Turkey in the north to the Red Sea in the south, and passes along the length of Jordan. The Jordan River flows along the rift valley, and the Dead Sea, at 1,300 feet / 400 meters below sea level, is at the lowest point along the valley
DESERT CAMP at WADI RUM
After a few hours of swimming, snorkeling, and socializing, we continued on for a two night stay in the Wadi Rum Protected Area, a 720 sq km / 280 sq mi area of beautiful desert that has land protections similar to National Parks in Canada and the US. Wadi Rum was listed as a UNESCO site (2011) for its cultural and natural features of dramatic desert scenery, petroglyphs, and rock inscriptions. During the full day that we were in the desert, we did a 5 km / 3 mi hike in the morning and a 4x4 drive to scenic spots in the afternoon
Mountain scenery along our desert walk
Desert Moonscape: The Wadi Rum desert was used to shoot movies such as Dune, The Martian, Aladdin, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Lawrence of Arabia
Another Moonscape
Sheik Mohammed was our Bedouin host and primary guide during our stay at Wadi Rum. He and his tribe have an arrangement with the Jordanian government to provide hospitality and guide services in the protected area. Here he is seated in the same spot that Peter O'Toole sat in for some of the publicity shots in the movie "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962).
Desert Magic along our 4x4 ride
More Desert Magic: We were able to climb several peaks and arches during our visit here
Petroglyphs in a slot canyon in the desert
PETRA
After saying goodbye to our Bedouin hosts, we headed north to Petra, where we hiked through an incredible collection of tombs and facades carved out of pinkish sandstone. Petra, a UNESCO site (1985), was a key stopping point along the silk and spice trading routes between eastern Asia and Europe; Petrans knew how to manage water resources in a desert environment and were apparently shrewd merchants and traders. The city thrived through the eras of Greek and Roman control. It lost influence as trade shifted from land to sea routes.
The Siq at Petra is a beautiful 1.5 km sandstone gorge that led camel trains and other travelers to the Treasury facade and the city of Petra
Approaching the Treasury, probably the most famous facade in Petra
The Treasury was intended to impress merchants and traders who would come to Petra for protection and provisions as they transported goods, especially spices and silk, from eastern Asia to major cities in the Greek and Roman empires
The amphitheater in Petra was carved out of sandstone, not built out of stones. It is the only carved amphitheater in the world. It was used for entertainment and performances; it had a 2,500 person seating capacityAd Deir, aka the Monastery, is one of the largest monuments in Petra, probably built for religious rituals and ceremonies. It has a larger interior than the tombs. After Constantine's Christianization of the Roman world, it was used as a chapel. It was probably never actually used as a monastery, despite its name. You get to the Monastery from the center of Petra by climbing about 850 steps.
Most of the houses and shops in ancient Petra were masonry, and they were mostly reduced to rubble after a series of earthquakes that hit the region. Qasr al-Bint, a large temple, is the only large masonry building that survived the big earthquake around 360 CE, probably because it had a layer of timber halfway up the building. The timber may have absorbed the shock waves enough to keep the walls from falling down
The DEAD SEA
When we left Petra, we made a stop at the Dead Sea. The idea was to slather yourself with a dark, smelly, slimy mud, wait for it to dry, and then soak yourself in the Dead Sea to wash it off. The claimed health benefits of this procedure were many, impressive, and highly doubtful, imo. However, it was fun! The Dead Sea is extremely salty, so it was very easy to float in it. And my skin did feel softer after I got the mud off!
Nina (l) and Tracey getting muddied up in preparation for a very salty rinse
I also got mucked up
Kieren and Hannah got rinsed off in the ultra salty water
The Dead Sea, with mud-covered people rinsing off and floating around. Israel is on the far side, about 12 km / 8 miles away
MADABA
We left the Dead Sea to continue north toward the small city of Madaba, known for its collection of mostly Byzantine era mosaics. Madaba also served as our anchor city for day trips to a restored Roman city called Jarash, to Mount Nebo, where Moses died after seeing the Promised Land, and to the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized.
St George's Greek Orthodox Church, Madaba. This church has a mosaic map of Israel inlaid on the sanctuary floor. The map is the most famous of hundreds of surviving mosaics in Madaba, aka "the Mosaic City"
The floor of St George's (Orthodox) Church has a mosaic map of Israel, Jordan, and parts of Egypt on it. It has over two million pieces of colored ceramic tile in it; it was inlaid around 560 AD
JERASH
Jerash is a small city (pop 50,000) located about 50 km / 30 mi north of Amman. Jerash was at its peak during the Greek, Roman and Ottoman empires. It is now a popular tourist destination because it is home to that very well preserved and restored Greco-Roman city. It has been excavated and studied for about a century; it has been inhabited for over 9,000 years.
Hadrian's Arch, built in 130 AD, was one of the main entrances to the ancient city of Jarash
The spectator section of the Hippodrome (sports arena) in Jarash, where races and contests were held. Approximately 15,000 spectators could be seated around the long oval track
The main entrance to the ruins of the Cathedral of St Mary, in Jerash. The cathedral was built around 450 AD on the foundations of at least two previous temples, and material from those earlier temples was used to build the cathedral
The Odeon, aka the North Theatre was used primarily for governmental meetings, but was also used for musical and theatrical performances. The Odeon seated up to 1,600 spectators
MT NEBO and BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN
Mt Nebo and Bethany Beyond the Jordan are popular sites especially for people who are interested in biblical history. Mt Nebo is the place where Moses saw the Promised Land just before he died. Bethany Beyond the Jordan is a UNESCO site that preserves and protects places where Elijah was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot and where John the Baptist lived, preached, and baptized Jesus.
Yazan, our guide, gazing in the direction of Jerusalem (on his left) and Jericho (on his right).
A view of "the Promised Land," from the top of Mt Nebo. Moses looked over the promised land after leading the Hebrew people out of Egypt. He died and was buried on this mountain
Elijah's Hill, where the prophet was taken up to heaven and where John the Baptist lived (in a cave), preached, and baptized people who believed in the coming Messiah.
The place traditionally believed to be where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. This area, known as Bethany Beyond the Jordan, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2015. It received the designation because of the importance of Christianity in world history and the importance of baptism as a mark of membership in the Christian tradition
The Jordan River now. Rivers tend to meander and move over time because of continuous erosion. People from around the world come here as part of a spiritual journey or pilgrimage; many choose to be baptized or rebaptized while they are here. We were able to watch several people doing so while we were here. Israel is just across the river
AMMAN
And finally, I spent a day exploring Amman, the capital city of Jordan. In Amman, I hired a cab driver to take me to four main attractions in the city. They included the Amman Citadel, the Roman Ttheatre, a mosque and a church representing two major religions in Jordan, and a walk / drive through one of the main market districts in the downtown.
The King Abdullah Mosque in Amman, completed in 1989.
Inside the King Abdullah Mosque: Capacity 10,000 people. The place is beautiful and huge!
The Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church (2005) is across the street from the Mosque. It serves about 8,000 members of the Coptic (mainly Egyptian) community in Amman. Its location underscores its commitment to peace and ecumenical dialogue
Inside the Coptic Orthodox Church. Seating capacity is probably in the 600 to 800 person range
The walls of the Amman Citadel, a huge fortified castle overlooking the city. It is now mostly a set of ruins with a few surviving structures
The Roman Theatre in Amman, as seen from the Citadel. Seating capacity: 6,000. It was built in the second century, during the time of the Roman empire. At that time, Amman was called Philadelphia
The Abdoun Bridge (opened 2006) is Jordan's only cable-stayed bridge; it crosses over the Wadi Abdoun. The Wadi (a usually dry river bed) separates central Amman and the much wealthier western part of the city.
My JORDAN PEEPS
A recurring theme in my trips to amazing places is the pleasure of meeting and traveling with new friends. Travel seems to intensify the connections we make with people from all around the world who share the joy of learning about new people and places. Jordan was no exception. My fellow travelers were wonderful and definitely enriched the experience. My thanks to them and our tour leader for providing fun and enriching company during the trip!
A few of us celebrating Tracey's birthday over a wonderful meal at the Jaw Zaman Restaurant in Madaba
ABOUT JORDAN
From Jordan Map: https://www.mapsofworld.com/amp/jordan/
Jordan is a relatively small country. At around 90,000 sq km / 34,500 sq mi, it is comparable to the state of Maine and a little smaller than the province of New Brunswick. The country population is around 12 million people; about one third of them live in Amman, the capital city. It is governed by a constitutional monarchy; King Abdullah II has mixed support among Jordanians. He is appreciated for his international efforts to maintain peace in a volatile region; he is criticized for his luxury lifestyle while not doing enough about serious issues of poverty, unemployment, and economic development.
Islam is the majority religion; the culture is socially conservative but relatively tolerant. It has a lower middle economy, with a GDP around 55 billion USD. Average full time wages range from 700 to 1500 USD per month; unemployment rates are relatively high at around 20% of the employable workforce. Key industries include financial services, health and education services, tourism, mining, and limited manufacturing. Tourism in particular has been hard hit by perceptions of risk in a politically unstable part of the world.
My experience in Jordan was one of a friendly, sociable population, with tourist-related workers being very eager to make sales or provide services. Security measures and high visibility police forces were apparent but not intrusive, and our group felt safe wherever we were. There was lots to see and do in this country; we could easily have spent two or three weeks here. Definitely worth a visit!
More pics and info here:
PHOTO LINKS:
The Dead Sea: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QEtd7wADpVaQ5CHU8
Mt Nebo & St George's Church: https://photos.app.goo.gl/BVgiD1HYx9iEH6hP8
Bethany Beyond the Jordan: https://photos.app.goo.gl/KuL8HHFwxXqo5yKi6
Jordan Peeps: https://photos.app.goo.gl/K8m5Zb7S3yxKVqrv6
INFO LINKS:
Wadi Rum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadi_Rum
Wadi Rum Protected Area: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1377/
Dead Sea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea
Mount Nebo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nebo
Bethany Beyond the Jordan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Maghtas
Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1446/
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