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Jordan Travel and Destination Guide
PLACES TO SEE
Amman
Amman, Jordan's capital, will certainly never win any prizes as the most interesting city in the world and, in fact, has only a few attractions. It's a busy, chaotic jumble of traffic and poor planning, but all roads lead to Amman, so you're bound to wind up here sooner or later.
Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum has some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the world. Lawrence of Arabia spent some time here during the Arab Revolt, and many of the scenes from the film were shot here. Don't expect sweeping sand dunes: Wadi Rum is a landscape of bizarre, soaring rock formations, known as jebels.
Madaba
This easy-going little town south of Amman is best known for its beautiful Byzantine-era mosaics, including the 'Madaba map', a 6th-century mosaic map of Palestine. Made of two million pieces, the Madaba map shows the Nile, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Qala'at ar-Rabad
Ar-Rabad Castle, built atop Mt 'Auf, is a fine example of Islamic military architecture. The castle was built by one of Saladin's generals and nephews in 1184-8, and was enlarged in 1214. The castle commands views of the Jordan Valley and three wadis leading into it - the Kufranjah, Rajeb and Al-Yabes.
Karak Castle
The ancient Crusader stronghold of Karak (or Kerak) lies within the walls of the old city and is one of the highlights of Jordan. The fortified castle dominates the town and was a place of legend in the battles between the Crusaders or Franks and the Islamic armies. Often ignored by travellers heading for Petra, Karak Castle is well worth the effort.
Petra
Petra is the sort of place that usually exists only in the imagination. This unique ancient city was hewn from a towering rock wall; few of the imposing facades of its great buildings are freestanding. Make sure you take as much film as you can carry because every nook and cranny is a Kodak moment.
Amman Citadel (Jebel al-Qala'a)
The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel al-Qala'a (about 850m (2788ft) above sea level) and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon. Artefacts dating from the Bronze Age show that the hill may have been a fortress for thousands of years. The Citadel ticket office is on the road leading up to the Citadel's entrance.
Ruins at Jerash
The ruins at Jerash (known in Roman times as Gerasa) are one of Jordan's major attractions and still have the power to evoke the ghosts of Rome. It's one of the best examples in the Middle East of a Roman provincial city, and is remarkably well preserved.
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