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Places
to visit in Jordan
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Jordan
is a very small country, and has a lot to see, archaeological
sites are all over, and they offer the chance to see the whole
story of human civilization, from Ein Ghazal in East Amman,
and Beida in Petra, two of the earliest settlements in human
civilization, to ancient copper mines in Wadi Dana,
a lot of bronze age villages and some of the most
beautiful iron age kingdoms, to Petra and the amazing Nabataeans,
to the Roman, Byzantean and Islamic sites, all in a modern
country welcoming tourism, and making it possible to enjoy
the whole experience.
Being
that small it is very easy to go around Jordan and enjoy the
fascinating landscapes, in Jordan you can be in the middle
of a forest and in less than one hour you can be in the middle
of a desert, or from a thousand meters above sea level to
390 m. below sea level, you can even enjoy swimming in the
warm Dead Sea in a cold winter day with heavy rains in Amman
half an hour away.
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Wadi
Rum: A very beautiful desert with mountains popping
out of the ground, Jordan's most beautiful landscapes,
it has a Nabataean temple that dates to the first century
b.c., and a lot of ancient inscriptions and drawings on
the rocks, also some traces where left by Lawrence of
Arabia. Camping in Wadi Rum under a blanket of stars is
a must for any visitor to the country. If you are a rock
climber, you will find there that dreams do come true!
It is three and a half hour drive from Amman, if you don't
have a 4x4, you can use the cars there that are driven
by the local bedouins, you can camp inside or chose to
camp in the rest house, at the visitors center you can
find all the help you need. Click for more information
and pictures of Wadi Rum. |
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Aqaba:
The only port in Jordan, and the only access to the Red
Sea with it's beautiful corals and fish. Its four hours
drive from Amman, has lots of hotels and diving centers,
it was used as a port at the time of the Nabataeans, and
ships even from China used to bring goods to its port,
Aqaba now is an economical free zone, being a tax free
zone makes it unexpensive for shoping. Click for a brief
about the history of the city. |
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Dead
Sea: The lowest point on earth, 410 m. below sea level,
loosing the average of one meter a year, it is half an
hour drive from Amman, has some resorts and a public beach,
it is warm in winter and hot in the summer, some wadis
bring water into the extra salty sea from the mountains,
one of which is Wadi Mujib, a nice walk against the current
in a canyon full of water, Wadi Mujeb is a nature reserve
run by RSCN, and has a new camp site, www.rscn.org.jo.
Around the Dead Sea are many biblical site, one of which
is the baptism site on the river Jordan. |
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Um
Qais: A Roman city overlooking the lake of Tiberias,
built with black stones and is well preserved.
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Ajlun:
Twenty minutes drive from Jerash, an old city between
the green mountains of north Jordan, has a very nice castle
on the top of it's highest mountain, there is also a nature
reserve with a beautiful camp and interesting hikes, the
camp is run by the R.S.C.N. |
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Jerash:
Ancient Roman very well preserved city, with theaters
that still are hosting cultural events, Jerash festival
is the biggest annual event. Jerash has an interesting
museum, and it is an hour drive from Amman to the north.
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Madaba:
Half an hour drive to the south of Amman, on the kings
highway, you can see there alot of churches dating to
the Byzantean era, beautiful mosaics in the churches and
the archaeological park, an interesting museum and the
historical mount Nebo from which you can enjoy a spectacular
view, and visit one of the oldest churches where it is
believed that the prophet Moses has died. |
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Azraq:
It's oasis is a stop for immigrating birds between Africa
and Asia, has a nature reserve that works on protecting
these birds and the local wild life, it has an ancient
castle made from black stones, on the way to Azraq from
Amman you can also see other desert castles, Amra and
Kharrana castles are right on the side of the street. |
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Dana:
A nature reserve with a hotel in the old village just
outside the reserve, a guest house where you can stay
or you can camp inside and enjoy being a part of nature
again. A variety of hikes can be enjoyed there, you can
choose the easy pleasures or go for a real adventure,
the reserve is run by the Royal Society for the Conservation
of Nature, for more info about Dana and other nature reserves,
please visit www.rscn.org.jo |
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Karak:
A small city with a nice castle in the center, located
one hour drive to the south of Amman. can be accessed
from the west coming up from the dead sea, and is located
on the kings highway between Madaba and Tafila. |
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