3. Jordan, where Adventure awaits you
Welcome to the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, a young country, rich in history, a well travelled bridge
between sea and desert, East and West. Above the layers of antiquity lies
a land of mesmerising beauty and contrast. The Jordan Valley is fertile, ever
changing, and has remote desert canyons, immense and still.
Here are splendid castles and hunting lodges, the haunting wilderness of Wadi
Rum, where you may follow the tracks of the legendary 'Lawrence Of Arabia'
on camel back. In the Red Sea you will find stunning coral reefs and the corals
of Aqaba; also restful spas at the Dead Sea and hot springs of Zarqa Ma´in.
Here, too, are monuments from every age of humanity, crowned by the rock-carved
city of Petra, a World Heritage Site.
For the past 10,000 years, people from all through the Middle East and the
rest of the world have travelled these historic trade routes that cross Jordan.
There is marvel at the varied glory of God´s nature. Today visitors
come to Jordan to see its great natural beauty and to see the Kingdom´s
historical and archaeological wealth. As the centuries-old tradition of visiting
Jordan continues, your hosts, the Jordanians, are wonderfully gracious and
welcoming, and most will surprise you with their excellent English. "Ahlan
Wa Salahn" - ... Welcome!
3.1. Amman, the Dynamic Capital City
Begin your stay in the
capital, Amman - safe, friendly and modern. No more than five hours drive
from anywhere in the country, it is a convenient place to use as a base for
our tour.
Amman is the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, formerly the Ammonite capital
city of Rabbath-Ammon, and later the Graeco-Roman city called Philadelphia.
Originally spread over seven hills like Rome, Amman now covers at least nineteen
hills. It is a city of contrasts, it has a diverse mixture of ancient and
the modern.
Often referred to as "the white city", the homes of Amman are built
on many hillsides and form a great canvas of overlapping beige, ochre and
white. The outstanding brilliant white scenario is the result of the white
stones of the country used in construction. They are rough - hewn, smooth
or lightly veined, and even polished white marble.
The city, with its population of over one million, is crowned by the Citadel,
a hill with the ruins of the Temple of Hercules, and a museum with artifacts
dating back to the earliest settlement in this region some 700,00 years ago.
At the foot of the Citadel is the 5,000 seat Roman theatre.
Still rapidly growing, Amman is a busy commercial and administrative centre
with many fine hotels, night clubs and discos. It boasts very modern facilities
for sporting events, conventions and conferences. There is a wide spectrum
of restaurants to meet every taste. We will select delicacies from a variety
of food ranging from Arabic as well as other international specialities and
fast food.
3.2. The Kings´ Highway
To see more of all that
this ancient land really has to offer requires a journey out of the city and
down some of the well trodden roads and trading routes of history, following
in the footsteps of the ancients back into time. The Kings' Highway is one
such road, one of the oldest trading routes in the world. It ran from Egypt
to Babylon through the western hills and plains of Jordan. It has been in
continuous use for more than 5,000 years by traders and caravans, armies and
conquerors, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders and the Armies of Islam.
The name itself comes from a Biblical story in Genesis 14 which tells of an
alliance between four kings who used this route to march against the five
kings of south-west Jordan.
The road now is well paved and passes through some of the most breath-taking
scenery in the Middle East. It snakes through a rich and almost spiritual
terrain of ancient remains in the biblical Kingdom of Ammon, Moab and Edom.
Just an hour drive from the capital between the mountains of Moab and Gilhead
you can reach the lowest area on the earth´s surface, the Dead Sea.
Madaba: After the Dead Sea a favourite stop is Madaba, "City of Mosaics", thirty kilometres south of Amman. It contains some of the finest Byzantine mosaic in the world. A Moabite town, known as Medeba in the Old Testament, has throughout history been a strong Christian influence in the area. Of great historical importance is the large sixth century mosaic map of Palestine and Egypt, representing the oldest map of the Holy Land in existence.
Mount Nebo: Fifteen driving-minutes from Madaba lies Mount Nebo, sacred to the Moslems, the Jews and the Christians. This is where Moses is said to have seen the Holy Land of Palestine which he would never enter, for he died and was buried at Mt. Nebo. The site is eternally dramatic and moving and excavations are still revealing new facts about a spot that has been revered a holy group for the last 1600 years. A truly unique experience is to have refreshment or an evening meal at Mount Nebo with a remarkable view across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. With a little luck, on a clear day the spires of Jerusalem are visible in the distance where the sun sets over the hills.
Mukawir: To the south of Madaba is Mukawir with its spectacular panoramic view over the Dead Sea. This is the site of the remains of King Herod's palace where Salome danced the dance of the seven veils and John The Baptist was beheaded.
Wadi Mujib: In Southern Jordan, Karak and Shaubak command your attention. Approaching Karak on the Kings´ Highway, you pass first through Wadi Mujib a precipitous canyon 1000 meters deep, guaranteed to set the mood for your visit.
Karak and Shobak: The
Crusaders were in Jordan for nearly 200 years, leaving two especially spectacular
remains at strategic points along the King's Highway - the massive 11th Century
forts at Kerak and Shobak. Both are defensive walled fortresses encompassing
tiered vaults, galleries, chapels, cathedrals, living quarters, wells, and
fortification walls pierced by narrow arrow slits with virtually everything
still intact.
Kerak and Shobak are ideal places for a stop on the road to Petra. With some
advanced planning they can be used for sumptuous banquets in the vaulted stone
chambers that were once home to Crusader knights, until the castles were captured
and taken over by the medieval Islamic troops who evicted the Crusaders from
south Jordan.
No journey down the Kings´ Highway would be complete without a visit
to Petra, the ancient metropolis of the Nabateans.
3.3. Petra, the Spectacular Rose-Red City
The 2000 year old Nabatean
capital of Petra has been known throughout the world, from its creation, for
its architectural splendour.
Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans, an industrious Arab people who settled
in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. From a hidden staging post,
they dominated the trade routes of ancient Arabia, levying tolls and sheltering
caravans laden with Indian spices and silks, African ivory, and animal hides.
The Nabatean Kingdom endures for centuries, and Petra became widely admired
for its refined culture, massive architecture, and ingenious complex of dams
and water channels. Ultimately, however, the Roman Emperor Trajan annexed
the kingdom, and myriad rulers followed in his wake.
By the sixteenth century, Petra was completely lost, and so it remained for
almost 300 years. Then in 1812, a Swiss adventurer named Johann Burckhardt
persuaded his guide to take him to the site of the rumoured lost city. Secretly
making notes and sketches, he wrote, "it seems very probably that the
ruins at Wadi Musa are those of ancient Petra".
Today Petra is famous for housing one of the most spectacular tourist sites
in the world. Carved out of the pink and cinnamon-coloured sandstone of the
mountains, Petra contains over 800 monuments. The interplay between the serene
beauty of the surrounding nature and the masterful carvings of the Nabateans
is truly remarkable and always breath-taking.
The city comprises a complete urban infrastructure which includes temples,
baths, private houses, high places, paved streets, public buildings, markets,
a theatre, reservoirs and cisterns. Its entrance, a one-kilometre-long fissure
through the towering cliffs, the "Siq", provides a dramatic approach
and induction to the city. The narrow winding path through the canyon dramatically
opens up to expose the awesome facade of the el Khazneh, the "Treasury".
This monument, used in the final sequence of the film "Indiana Jones
and the last Crusade", is Petra´s most famous building.
To reach the city the visitor travels on foot, or by horse-drawn carriage
through the awesome "Siq". Since 1995 horse riding is only possible
between the Tourist Centre and the entrance of the "Siq".
3.4. The Cities of Dekapolis
The Dekapolis was an association of at least ten Greco-Roman cities that flourished along the ancient trade routes that passed through Jordan. Five of them are now located in Jordan area. The most impressive one is without any doubt Gerasa, today Jerash. In addition to Jerash you can visit remarkable Roman remains in Amman, Umm El-Jimal, Umm Qeis and Tabaqat Fahil.
Pella (Tabaqat Fahil):
Nestled in the lush and tropical foot-hills of the Jordan Valley is the city
of Pella, warm and welcoming throughout the year. Excavations have revealed
at least three thousand years of human activity at Pella, from the Old Testament
days to the medieval Islamic era.
Pella was already an important city in the 19th century BC and came under
Greek influence in the 3rd and 4th century BC .The Romans made Pella member
of the Dekapolis in the 2nd century AD. In the 5th and 6th century AD it became
a Christian centre and stayed important in the times of Islam. In the year
746 BC an earthquake destroyed Pella.
Excavations are still taking place and visitors today can admire its Roman
theatre, Byzantine churches, Islamic mosque and housing quarters and other
remains scattered amongst gently rolling green hills watered by a perennial
stream.
Gadara (Umm Qeis) and
Abila: Umm Qeis, the New Testament's Gadara, scene of the miracle of the Gadarene
swines, was renowned in its time as a cultural centre. Gadara was first mentioned
in the 3rd century BC and most of the buildings are dating from the 2nd century
BC There are archaeological remains such as an impressive colonnaded terrace
and the ruins of three theatres. In 1991 a restaurant built in this antique
site was opened where one may dine on the terrace with a breathtaking view
of three countries. Most interesting about it is the magnificent view across
the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights to the north and down the Jordan valley
to the south.
To north-east of Gadara lies ancient Abila, more rural than Jerash and Umm
Qeis, where Roman temples, Byzantine churches and early mosaics lie amidst
olive groves and wheat fields. Excavations indicate that the site was inhabited
5,000 years ago in the Early Bronze Age, and appears to have been continually
used by man since then.
Philadelphia (Amman): Excavations on the northern border of the city, in Ain Ghazal, brought settlements of artfully built houses from the time of 7000 - 4000 BC to daylight. Tombs were found that prove that people lived in Amman in the Bronze Age (3200 - 1500 BC) as well. During the Iron Age (1200 - 1500 BC) Amman had been the capital of the Kingdom of the Ammonites, named "Rabbath Ammon". In the 3rd century BC it was called Philadelphia. Before the Roman invasion Amman belonged to the Nabatean Kingdom and at Roman times it was the most important city of the Dekapolis. The Citadel , the Roman Theatre and the regal columns of a Roman temple are witnesses of these times. On Amman's citadel hill the elegant capitals of a Byzantine church and the inventive carvings of the Umayyad Palace tell further stories of the past.
Gerasa (Jerash): There
were settlements at the site of Jerash long before it became a major city.
Found tools prove that Neolithic man lived here at around 6,000 BC and later
Bronze Age and Iron Age villages were constructed. It's emergence as a major
city took place in the second century BC, when is was founded by the Romans
and became one of the cities of the Dekapolis. Jerash still is a complete
Greco-Roman city with three finely carved stone theatres, monumental places,
two major hilltop temples, a hippodrome, public fountains, city walls and
gates, and colonnaded streets. From the centuries after Rome, Jerash retains
a dozen Byzantine churches with their original floor mosaic and some early
Islamic buildings.
Only 40 minutes by car from Amman, this best preserved Roman town in the Middle
East should not be missed.
In July the Jerash Festival takes place, an international cultural event celebrating
Jordanian Hand Crafts and the Performing Arts.
Umm el-Jimal: At the eastern margins of the Dekapolis (but not being a member of it) lies Umm el-Jimal, "Black gem of the desert", a city built of black basalt. It was settled by the Nabateans, the Romans, the Byzantines and the Umayyads. It was destroyed by an earthquake in the 8th century AD and now is an interesting archaeological site with some of it's lovely black basalt mansions and towers still standing.
3.5. Following in the Footsteps of 'Lawrence of Arabia'
Vast, echoing and God-like,
these are the words of T.E. Lawrence in describing Wadi Rum. It is the largest
and most magnificent of Jordan's desert landscapes. While it was a most difficult,
almost impossible operation for Lawrence to take Aqaba, it takes about half
an hour by car today.
In the northern part of Jordan, east of Amman, Lawrence had his headquarters
at a castle in the Azraq Oasis. From here he started to free Damascus of the
Turkish.
a) The Desert Castles
Within an easy day´s drive from Amman on a well maintained highway to
Azraq which leads out into the eastern desert of Jordan are the remains of
beautiful, often lavish and still mysterious buildings dating from the early
Islamic era. In the 7th and 8th centuries AD, the Umayyad dynasty´s
caliphs built a series of structures known as the "desert castles".
Assumed to have been luxurious hunting lodges, baths and pleasure places,
their secret remains to this day. What prompted these rulers from Damascus
to build out here in such arid land? How did they survive the long rainless
summers and why did they suddenly appear only to be abandoned just as mysteriously
less than 100 years later.
There are four pure Omayyad sites at Qasr Amra, Kharanah, Tuba and Mushatta
(so large it was never completed) and the black basalt Roman/Medieval Islamic
fort at Azraq.
Qasr Azraq: In the arid, extensive desert lies Azraq Oasis, the only permanent body of water in 12,000 square miles and a migratory path for hundreds of species of birds. Amid the many pools is Qasr Azraq, the black basalt fort that was used by T.E. Lawrence as his headquarters during the Arab Revolt. It was originally built by Roman legionnaires in the 3rd century AD.
Qasr Amra: Qasr Amra, built in the early 8th century AD is a triple-vaulted bathhouse and hunting lodge with frescoed walls and ceilings and fragments of mosaics. The lively frescos show hunting-scenes, musicians, dancers and female acts.
Qasr Kharaneh: The large, ominous fortress of Qasr Kharaneh, built in 711 AD, was probably used as a caravansary where caravans could take refuge from fighting Bedouins. It is a square building with towers on each corner and the rooms on the first story are artfully decorated.
b) Wadi Rum
The road south from Petra leads to Wadi Rum, another of nature's wonderlands
that has attracted human beings for thousand of years. Wadi Rum is an unusual
desert terrain that resembles a pastel pink lunar landscape, with towering
limestone and granite cliffs shooting out of the sandy desert floor.
Here both the legend and the film of "Lawrence of Arabia" were made.
Wadi Rum is a beautiful sight to enjoy and an adventure ground to conquer.
Serious trekkers will be drawn to Wadi Rum, with challenging climbs some 1750
meters high, but casual hikers can also enjoy an easy course through the colourful
hills and canyons. Tourists with a high sense of adventure will want to try
a hot air ballooning over Rum. Those with a calm disposition will choose a
camel ride or use four-wheel-drive vehicles to explore Rum's vast interior.
Everywhere there are signs of people who have lived or passed through Wadi
Rum in ancient times - dams, water channels, benches near springs, Nabatean
temples, rock art with pictures of warriors, human hands and feet, stickmen
and desert animals.
Naturalists are drawn to the desert in springtime, when rain brings about
the greening of the hills and an explosion of wildflowers. Much of the rugged
terrain is an ideal habitat for wildlife. Sinai rose finches, desert larks,
and redstarts can be sighted in Rum.
In the Wadi Rum is a Resthouse which has a camping ground with it but even
more amazing is a Bedouin evening under the open sky, complete with traditional
food, singing and dancing, followed by a night in a Bedouin tent. It will
offer a spectacular night view of the southern sky as clear as only visible
in the desert.
3.6. Aqaba, Jordan´s Year-Round Red Sea Resort
After the exhilaration
of Petra and Wadi Rum, one will be ready for the relaxing sun-and-sand attractions
of Aqaba, Jordan's Red Sea resort. With it's subtropical climate it has summer
all throughout the year, pleasantly warm even in winter with water temperatures
of 20° Celsius, and refreshing with cool sea breezes in the heat of the
summer.
Aqaba is a little tropical paradise, ringed by mountains that change colours
every few hours, fringed by thousands of palm trees and lapped by the warm
waters of the Red Sea. Just steps off the beach lies a spectacular underwater
world of corals and exotic fish, indigo-coloured water bringing kaleidoscopic
marine life within easy reach, accessible to beginner snorkelers as well as
to experienced scuba divers. Aqaba boasts some of the world's best scuba diving
by day or night, and the Royal Diving Centre, a new and modern diving base
on the southern shore, where the most beautiful coral reefs are. Many of the
modern hotels on the northern beach offer water sports such as snorkelling,
fishing, wind surfing, water-skiing, sailing or glass bottom-boat rides and,
of course, sunbathing.
With several first-rate hotels, restaurants for every sort of taste, bars,
night-clubs, shops and boutiques Aqaba caters for variation on the evenings
and candle lit dinner cruises can be booked as well.
The Aqaba area also offers archaeological sites that tell history. In biblical
times it was called Ezion-Geber, a prosperous town where King Solomon's ships
set sail with their store of copper. Worth visiting are the old harbour, the
island crusader fortress and a recently discovered 7th century Islamic walled
town that is still being excavated and a regional antiquities museum.
3.7. The Dead Sea and Thermal Spas
Jordan offers places of great natural healing powers that have been helping people for thousands of years. Today less than an hour's drive from Amman modern spa centres help to relax and forget about the stress of modern life..
a) The Healing Power of
the Dead Sea
The Dead Sea has a historical and spiritual legacy of it's own. It is believed
to be the site of five biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorra, Admah, Zeboin and
Zoar. Today it's eastern shore is sparsely populated and serenely quiet. With
much of the landscape virtually unchanged since biblical times, it is a favourite
spot for relaxing and letting nature's power work.
For thousands of years the healing powers of the water and the climate are
known and sought for. The Egyptians used to make cosmetic products of the
minerals and the Romans treated their wounded soldiers there.
The Dead Sea lies 392 meters below sea level in the Jordan Valley between
Israel and Jordan. The temperatures in winter are around 20° C and 60°
C in high summer.
The natural pleasant therapy consisting of sun, water, air and rest clears
the skin lesions for longer remission periods and avoids the serious side
effects caused by other therapeutic regimes.
The intense salinity of the Dead Sea originates in it's extreme content of
salts and minerals which actually are the highest of all seas in the world.
Especially high concentrations of Magnesium, Calcium (anti-allergic effect),
Bromine (relaxing effect), Potassium and of Bitumen which make the skin more
photosensitive and also have an anti-inflammatory effect. The Dead Sea salts
and minerals concentration reaches 27-30%. There is an unique content of highly
oxygenous air which is caused by the high rate of evaporation of the water
due to high temperatures all year round, low humidity and high atmospheric
pressure. These climate conditions create a special atmospheric layer that
filters the majority of the harmful UVB rays through the atmospheric layer
creating a favourable UVA/UVB ratio.
The dark peloid mud found on the shores of the Dead Sea is suitable for therapeutic
purposes as well.
Indications and Treatment:
Medical care in Salt Land Village Dead Sea Spa is provided by German and English
speaking dermatologists with vast experience of climatological treatment of
skin diseases such as: Psoriasis vulgaris, Psoriasis with arthrititis, localised
pustular psoriasis, parapsoriasis group, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, ichthyosis
vulgaris, acne conglubata, acne indurata and arthritis.
(Contraindications: Acute infectious and chronic diseases, recurring thrombophlebitis,
pronounced varicosis, postthrombotic syndrome, ulcus cruris, marcumar therapy,
epilepsy).
The average duration for treatment is four weeks and is not advisable for
patients suffering from sun- hypersensitivity. Patients on cortisone should
consult their physician to stop medication four weeks before treatment begins.
The preferred treatment period for patients suffering from heart and circulatory
decompensation is between September and April, because the climate affects
the body least during this period.
Medical care consists of: Extensive specialist examination; explanation of
individual therapeutic measures; several specialist controls and doctor´s
report; use of private solarium, facilities for massages, gymnastics and mud
packs.
b) The Hot Springs of
Zarqa Ma'in
2000 years ago the natural healing powers of the Dead Sea and its surrounding
hot springs were already well known as "Callirhoe" (beauty bath).
The same thermal waters that once eased the aches and pains of Herod the Great
some 2,000 years ago are being tapped again, in full force and grand style,
for therapeutic benefit of today´s health retreat enthusiasts. Open
since 1988 and receiving visitors from near and far, the Ma´in Spa Village
is Jordan´s hospitable answer to anyone seeking not only a physical
cure but also a healing escape from the enervating pressures of urban life:
The Ma´in Spa Village, a modern resort centre nestled in a quiet valley,
away from it all, amid a remarkable abundance of hot mineral springs.
Rising with pressured force from a molten depth of 1,200 meters beneath the
earth´s surface, the Zarqa Ma´in hot waters spring forth at 59
different outlets, some in a gentle bubble, others in cascading streams. The
biggest and most spectacular is Esh-Shallal ("waterfall" in Arabic),
nature´s own centrepiece and focal attraction in the valley; it tumbles
down over the water-worn boulders for several meters before merging with the
cold river below.
The springs are extremely hot, reaching a temperature of 64°C - far above
the accepted spa minimum of 35°C. They also hold a very high concentration
of mineral salts, accumulated from the rich and many-layered properties of
Ma´in´s rocky depths. According to accepted standards, a spring
is rated as mineral if the total portion of its dissolved salts is not less
than 1,000 per million. Those at Zarqa Ma´in tested at 2,000 per million.
Indications and Treatment:
A chemical analyses, undertaken in the seventies by the Institute Fresenius
of Wiesbaden, Germany, classified the water as sodium calcium chloride therm,
making it of therapeutic value for rheumatism, arthritis and other joint pains,
chest and respiratory tract ailments, skin disease, and as a diuretic. It
also has potassium to stimulate blood circulation and fluorine to prevent
tooth decay, as well as a host of other trace minerals beneficial to the body.
The waters are used externally and only in small doses internally. Treatment
is given in various forms, among them bathing in a pool cooled to a tepid
38°C, sauna sessions at 60°C, inhalations, swaddling, physical therapy
and massage.
For the visitor who has come for a water cure, the hotel offers its own health
clinic, consisting of separate baths for men and women, inhalation units,
thermal treatment and physiotherapy rooms, as well as an outdoor terrace for
relaxation and sunbathing. On hand at all times to provide the necessary medical
supervision is a full staff of doctors, nurses and therapists specialising
in hydrotherapy.
3.9. Biblical Sites in Jordan
With the closing of the
Second Millennium, Jordan is an ideal place for Christians from all corners
of the globe to visit and relive the stories of the Bible.
In this small Kingdom there are innumerable biblical associations ranging
from the age of Abraham and Moses, through the time of Jesus' ministry, and
into the early Christian era which started spreading to Jordan since the time
of the Apostles.
Sites are being continually discovered which enhance knowledge of these times,
such as the recent finding of the oldest known Christian church at Aqaba and
the placing of the baptism of Jesus Christ by John at Bethabar on the east
bank of the Jordan River.
The most important biblical sites will be described in the following.
3.9.1.The Biblical Sites from North to South
A journey from north to south of the country would cover approximately 41kilometers and would offer the traveller the opportunity of visiting numberous interesting and intriguing locations, mostly with specific associations with Bible stories.
Gadara: The farthest point of interest in the north is the country of Gadara, known as Umm Qais, and formerly one of the flourishing cities of the Greek Dekapolis. Jesus, while visiting this town, healed the two madmen, and the unclean spirits fled from them and entered a herd of swine, which then drowned in the nearby Sea of Galilee.
Anjara: At Anjara you can visit an important shrine that consists of a large church hall especially built to accommodate pilgrims who come to venerate a life-size wooden statue of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. The statue is located within a newly built dry stone "grotto". The grotto symbolises the belief that Jesus and his disciples, including his mother Mary and other women, passed through Anjara once and rested in a cave during a journey between Jerusalem and Galilee.
Pella: A short distance south of Umm Qais, in the Jordan Valley is another important town of the Dekapolis called Pella, now known as Tabaqat Fahel. It was one of the strategic trading cities of the time and then became an important sought as a refuge by Christians fleeing the Holy City just before it is 70 AD anticipated destruction, as prophesied by Jesus in Mathew 24. They fled the city with their bishop Simon and camped in and around Pella.
Bethany: Further south
and 2 kilometres east of the Jordan River, John the Baptist´s settlement
"Bethany beyond the Jordan" where he lived, preached and baptised
has been discovered. Here, modern archaeologists located the ruins of Byzantine
monastery with a church built in the time of the Emperor Anastasius. This
is believed to be the ruins of a church commemorating John the Baptist and
is being excavated and renovated.
According to the biblical text in John's Gospel, John the Baptist announced
the coming of Jesus, and then baptised Him in the waters of the Jordan. The
New Testament, in Mark (9:9-11), describes how, as Jesus emerged from the
water He immediately saw the Heavens open, the Spirit descending on Him like
a dove, and a voice coming from heaven saying, "You are my beloved son.
With you I am well pleased".
Machaerus: John the Baptist
started his mission in the land of modern Jordan, and also ended his life
there.
He was arrested by Herod Antipas, imprisoned in the fortress at Machaerus
(modern Mukawir) 65 kilometres south west of Amman.
The castle is known biblically as the palace in which Salome, as instructed
by her mother, danced for King Herod in exchange for the head of John the
Baptist on a platter. (Mark 6:21-29).
Madaba: Twenty kilometres
north east of Machaerus lies Madaba, once Medaba, a Moab town which developed
into a Byzantine capital.
It was at Medaba that Arab tribes such as the Tanoukh and Soleih became Christians.
They provided the great mosaic artists like Salamos who created the famous
map of Palestine around 570 AD. Much of the map still exists in the Saint
George Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba and includes about 150 biblical sites
known in Byzantine times on both banks of the River Jordan. It originally
measured a staggering 25 by 5 meters and was made of more than two million
mosaic stones. The map principally relates the story of salvation as narrated
in the Bible. It is centred in Jerusalem with the Holy Sepulchre as its main
Building. It was intended as a pilgrim map rather than as a precise geographical
one.
Mount Nebo: A nine kilometre
trip west of Madaba brings you to Mount Nebo, known also as Siyagha, the site
of Moses' view of the Holy Land, which he never entered. It is here that the
Book of Deuteronomy (34:2-6) comes alive:" Then Moses went up from the
plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Gilead as far as Dan. All Naphtali
and the land of Ephraim and Manssah, all the land of Judah as far as the Western
Sea". In these verses Moses is told "I have caused you to see it
with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there".
The same spectacular view can be enjoyed by any visitor or Christian pilgrim
who visits Siyagha. On a clear day, one can recognise the spires of Jerusalem.
Nearby, to the east of this vantage point with its breathtaking view, is the
church built to commemorate Moses. It has seen several stages of construction
going back to the 4th century AD. You can explore wonderful mosaics, made
by local Christians artists, that date back to different periods in the 6th
century. The mosaics have inscriptions recording the dates of completion and
the names of the craftsmen who created them together with the names of the
bishops of Madaba.
Franciscan monks have carried out excavation and restorations on this site,
at intervals, since 1933. A large number of mosaics have been renovated and
the church itself looks suitably graceful and peaceful.
Although, according to the book of Deuteronomy, Moses died in the land of
Moab, the Bible points out that, "no one knows his grave to this day".
Yet a slightly raised platform built in honour of Moses stands at one end
of the church and has been claimed by some to be the place where he was buried
by angels.
Outside the church a metal sculpture of a bronze snake on a cross represents
the Bible verses (John 3:14-15) shown under it:" Just as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the desert, so must the son of Man be lifted up, in order
that every one who believes in Him may not perish but has eternal life".
The site of Mount Nebo marks the last stage of Moses' journey from Egypt with
the Israelites, using the Kings' Highway, and passing by Wadi Musa (Petra)
where he struck the rock and natural springs gushed out. Mount Nebo is another
place where Moses created springs for his people in the same way.
The Kings´ Highway: The Kings´ Highway, the world´s oldest continuously used communication route, was first mentioned in Genesis 14 and 20. Moses´ request to the king of Edom to "travel along the Kings´ Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory" was turned down, but visitors today are welcome to make the journey along the scenic road as it winds, dips, twists and rambles through the heart of Jordan from Ammon to Moab to Edom, or today from Amman via Mt. Nebo to Petra!
Wadi Musa: The Valley
of Moses, is the modern name given to the Village near the archaeological
site of Petra. The Bible reports that Moses and the Israelites passed by the
Edomite Kingdom to the east because the Edomite king did not allow them to
pass through his kingdom on the Kings' Highway. Here also flows the natural
spring, mentioned above, believed to go back to Moses.
During the 4th century, the canyon was inhabited by the Arab Nabateans and
was called Sella, meaning "the Rock". It was mentioned in the Bible
as Sella Edom, which means "the red rock".
Nearby is the Aron´s Tomb. Aron, the brother of Moses and Miriam, died
in the land of Jordan and was buried at Mount Hor, now known as Jabal Haroon.
(Exodus 4:14, 7:1, Micha 6:4).
Sodom and Gomorra, today
Bab ed-Dra´ and Numeira, lies in Wadi Araba between the Dead Sea and
Aqaba.
Arriving there from Egypt, Abraham and Lot separated their herds and people
and went their own ways (Genesis 13:1-13). After Lot´s wife disobeyed
God´s order, looked back at burning Sodom, and was turned into a pillar
of salt, Lot and his daughters survived and reportedly lived for many years
in a nearby cave (Genesis 19). In the 7th Century AD, a Byzantine church and
monastery dedicated to Saint Lot were built over the cave there. The complex
has been excavated and can be easily visited.
Aqaba/Ayla: The port of
Aqaba lies on the southernmost tip of Jordan on the Red Sea. It was a central
point on the ancient trade route between Arabia and the Middle East.
Biblically known as Zinon Geber, its port was used by King Solomon (972-933
BC), who kept his vessels there.
Excavations in Aqaba or Ayla, its Islamic name, have revealed a Roman city
under the sand going back to the 1st century BC.
The most exciting of recent discoveries was made in the middle of the modern
town of Aqaba. Archaeologists believe they have uncovered the oldest church
on earth. The remains could prove to date from the late third century which
would make it the oldest known purpose built church. This mud-brick building
of 2 Meters by 16 meters, would be slightly more ancient than the Holy Sepulchre,
in Jerusalem.
3.9. Nature Reserves in Jordan
The RSCN (Royal Society for the conservation of Nature) already was founded in 1966. Today we have 6 nature reserves in Jordan: Wadi Rum, Dana, Azraq, Shaumari, Wadi Mujib and Zubia.
In Wadi Rum still live
Arabian Oryx and gazelles. With its awesome stretches of reddish sand, Wadi
Rum is a vast, silent place that is both romantic and starkly beautiful. Massive
mountains and rocks, in strange shapes and colours, seem to come out of nowhere
everywhere you look. Engravings on the rocks and inside the natural caves
indicate that the area was inhabited since the earliest known time (see also
chapter 3.5.)
Dana also belongs to the most dazzling sites and nature reserves in Jordan.
Dana lies north west of Wadi Rum and stretches from the Sharaa mountains,
with peaks 1800 meters above sea level, in the east, to Wadi Araba in the
west.
Dana was successively
inhabited by the Edomites, Assyrians, Romans, and many other civilisations.
Modernisation has not crept to the area yet, and its houses still retain the
simple, traditional stile of long times past. The area´s beautiful forests
have trees as old as 3,000 years. It is roamed by mountain gazelles, red foxes,
badgers and many other mammals. Nearly 600 species of plants, 200 reptiles
and mammals, and more than 150 species of birds have been identified in Dana.
The area is also rich in water springs and semi-precious stones.
Dana is certainly a refuge for nature-lovers. A camp site has been set up
in the area, hiking trails opened and field guides are available.
Further north, the impact of the sight of Wadi Mujib, known as Arnon in the
Old Testament, is unforgettable. Here the Kings' Highway suddenly twists and
winds its way down 900 meters of this gash across the plateau. The wadi, or
canyon, runs from east to west and the river in it flows into the eastern
coast of the Dead Sea.
Wadi Mujib is the home of ibexes, gazelles and leopards.
Zubia Forest Reserve is
a beautiful pine tree forest and the Azraq Wetland Reserve is an oasis in
the desert with pools of water used by migrating birds. The marshes, approximately
10 km South of Azraq, have been made into a national wildlife preserve, called
Shaumari Reserve. There native species such as oryx, gazelle and ostrich are
being reintroduced into the desert.
The RSCN soon will add five other natural reserves: Dibbeen Forest close to
Jerash, the Yarmouk River Gorge near Umm Qeis, Burqu north east of Jordan
and Feifa south east of the Dead Sea and as well the Jordan River Gorge.
4. The Tourist Facilities in Jordan
The tourist industry has
gone through phenomenal expansion in recent years.
The number of modern hotels was increased in the last few years and roads
connecting the various religious and archaeological sites have been constructed
to make them more accessible to visitors.
Contents of the Guide Book
| 1. | Welcome to Jordan |
| 2.. | The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
| 2.1. | Geography, Climate and Borders |
| 2.2. | Entry and Departure Procedures |
| 2.3 | Population |
| 2.4. | Currency |
| 2.5. | History |
| 2.6. |
Government |
| 2.7. | Economy |
| 3. | Jordan, where the Adventure awaits you |
| 3.2 | Amman, the Dynamic Capital City |
| 3.2. | The
Kings´Highway (Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Mukawir, Wadi Mujib, Karak, Shobak) |
| 3.3. | Petra, the Spectacular Rose-Red City |
| 3.4. | The Cities of Decapolis (Pella, Gadara, Abila, Philadelphia, Gerasa, Umm el Jimal) |
| 3.5.. |
Following
the Footsteps of "Lawrence of Arabia"; |
| 3.6. | Aqaba, Jordan´s year-round Red Sea Resort |
| 3.7. | The Dead Sea and Termal Spas; The healing power of the Dead Sea; The Hot Springs of Zarqa Ma´in |
| 3.8. | Biblical Sites in Jordan |
| 3.8.1. | The
Biblical Sites from North to South; Gadara, Anjara, Pella, Bethany, Machaerus, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, the Kings´Highway, Wadi Musa, Sodom & Gomorra, Ayla |
| 3.9. | Nature Reserves in Jordan; Wadi Rum, Dana, Zubia, Azraq, Shaumari |
| 4. | The Tourist Facilities in Jordan |
| 4.1. | Transportation;
Flight Connections, Tourist Buses, Bus-, Train-, Ferry-Connections; Car Rental and Driving in Jordan |
| 4.2. | Communication |
| 4.3. | Sports; Aquatic Sports and Diving; Horseback Riding and Camel Trips; Ballooning; Glimbing and Hang-gliding |
| 4.4. | Culture and Entertainment; Museums and Galleries; Festivals; Other Entertainments |
| 4.5. | Restaurants |
| 4.6. | Shopping and Souvenirs |
| 4.7. | Tourist Guides |
| 4.8. | Accommodation; |
| 5. | Incentive Travel |
| 5.1. | Incentive Special Events |
| 6. | Helpful Facts about Jordan |
| 6.1. | Best Time to Travel and Safty |
| 6.2. | Tipping (Bakshish) |
| 6.3. | Holidays, Ramadan, Business Hours |
| 6.4. | Local Customs - How to Dress? |
| 6.5. | Electric Current, Water Supply |