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.

 

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";
(Desert Castles: Azraq, Amra, Kharanah; Wadi Rum)
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;
Hotels in Amman, Petra, Aqaba, Spa-Hotels, Other Hotels, Camping
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