10 tourist sites in Jordan you must visit
Jordan is an important tourist destination in the Middle East and the world due to its political stability and peaceful coexistence between Muslims, Christians and other communities over the centuries, as well as the customs and traditions of the Jordanian people.
In addition, there are many archaeological, historical and tourist sites that attract tourists from around the world.
This is a list of the top 10 visitor and tourist sites to visit in Jordan:
1 - Dead Sea: It is very important to visit this beautiful tourist place where this sea is located in the area between Jordan and Palestine.
In the Old Testament, it was called the "Sea of Salt"
The Jordan River and other valleys are the source of water for this sea
It is located 38 km south-west of Amman
It is very saline with a salt content of 34% where a person does not need to be a skilled swimmer to swim because of high salinity
With a width of 17 km and a length of 70 km and a lot of tourists intended for recreation , comfort, treatment because of the presence of high rate of salts in the water
So some of them swim and the other lying on the beach and cover their body mud.
They believe that this contributes to healing of skin diseases
In this area there are a large number of hotels with wonderful amenities and entertainment for tourists and there are also many archaeological areas in that area such as the Cave of the” Prophet Lot”.
2 - Petra or pink city: It was called pink city because of the color of rock, an archaeological city rocked completely located in southern Jordan.
In 2007, it became one of the wonders of the new world, the capital of the Nabatean state .
It is located 225 km south of Amman.
It was discovered only in 1812 by the Swiss scientist "Johann Berkhardt",
the most famous monuments within this city:
- (Al Khazna): which is the most famous landmarks Petra is the facade of the city ,it is a wonderful painting containing the highest royal tomb and consists of two floors high 39 meters and the width of 25 meters.
- Petra theater: the most charming , beauty and the largest buildings of the city and can accommodate 10,000 spectators and is also carved with rock except the front section.
- The Great Temple: It is located at last street of columns.
- The altar: in order to offer offerings to the gods .
- Large number of small temples, funerary halls and the ancient Petra museum
In addition, the people of this city are well known for their hospitality and will offer the tourists their best, especially "Mansaf", a very popular Jordanian delicacy consisting of bread, rice, milk and nuts prepared in a special way.
The city is dotted with many 5-star hotels.
3 - Aqaba: is one of the Jordanian provinces located south of the Kingdom has a strategic importance historical economic and tourism.
It is located south of Amman, 330 km.
Due to the mild climate, warm winters, calm waves, clean beach and pleasant population.
It is the only port of Jordan on the Red Sea and its ancient name (Aile) and lived on its land a lot of ancient civilizations such as Nabataeans, Pharaohs, Romans and Muslims.
Thousands of tourists from all over the world visit the city of Aqaba as well as Jordanian residents who come for the weekend.
To sit on sandy beaches and especially the beach of “Ghandour” under the sun on the banks of the Red Sea or swimming.
There are also several specialized centers for diving in warm waters to see the exhibition of marine life of colored fish, coral, dolphins, turtles and other marine organisms.
The unique event that can be seen and enjoyed in Aqaba is to see millions of migratory birds of all kinds
in the spring and autumn during its journey between the continents of Africa and Europe.
It is very important to visit the historical citadel of Aqaba and the heritage museum, which contains many of the artifacts discovered, which belong to many ancient civilizations that inhabited this area.
4 - Wadi Rum: It is a flat desert land located among several high rocky mountains.
This valley is located north of the city of Aqaba 70 km south of the capital Amman and is also called "Valley of the Moon" because its topography resembles the topography of the moon.
Many documentaries and cinemas have been filmed in this region, such as "The Red Planet" because the dust of this valley resembles the surface of Mars and other films such as the film "Lawrence of Arabia".
Wadi Rum is part of the Golden Tourism Triangle, which includes Petra, Aqaba and this charming valley.
This area is ideal for camping where tourists set tents and accommodation during their trips, bringing most of the necessary needs in the SUV and taking photographs of the beautiful rocks that the wind carved thousands of years ago.
Riding horses and camels accompanied by nomads and listening to the popular songs they chant while accompanying tourists.
Mountain climbing, some 1,700 meters high, is one of the most famous adventures to be fought
Visitors can see Wadi Rum from the top by chartering zeppeline, flying over the place and seeing the beauty of pure nature .
The beauty of this valley climbs at night, where the wind fills the place where you can lie outside the tent and see the stars in the clear sky in the form of a wonderful painting away from all forms of pollution and construction.
A rally for cars and motorcycles is taking place in this desert and is attended by many contestants from around the world.
5 - Jerash historic castle: The current city of Jerash, north of the capital of Aman, 48 km, a mountainous area covered by rare and ancient trees so it is full of scenic views and is one of the ten cities within the coalition that he founded Roman Emperor” Pompey” to face the power of the Arabs Nabataeans in addition to Bosra, Bella and Philadelphia ....... etc. This alliance is called"Decapolis".
Jerash is an example of the Roman model of construction, despite the great devastation that has afflicted the city for centuries. It is an integrated city where it can be seen:
Theaters, temples, market monuments, stone paved roads, bathrooms and towering columns.
Attractions within the Historic City:
- Theater North: capacity for 3000 spectators
- Theater South: capacity of 3000-5000 spectators
- Column Street: contains 1000 columns
- The Arc of Victory: It is the most famous landmarks of the city and represents the southern façade and is called the Arc of” Hadrian”,it is the icon of the city of Jerash
- "Hippodrome": a race track for horses and also held the Roman circus
In July each year, the Jerash Festival takes place in the historic city. The festival includes concerts, ballet dances, folkloric dances, opera. Many artists come to Jarash and many traditional handicrafts are displayed,Such as textile pieces made of goat hair and hand-woven and the paintings made of colored sand
The historic city has many hotels, restaurants that are full of tourists.
6 - Ajloun Castle: This castle is located in the Ajloun governorate northwest of the capital Amman, 76 km near the city of Ajloun and it is said to have been named Ajloun relative to the monk Ajloun, who lived in this area old.
This castle was built during the Crusades in 1183 A.B on the top of Mount Auf and it reveals many of the surrounding areas.
Despite the passage of several centuries, the earthquakes that struck the region in ancient times and the many wars the castle still maintains its original version to a very large extent.
This castle is surrounded by a trench of 12-15 meters deep, filled with water to obstruct the advance of the enemy.
This castle has a lot of strategic features because of the existence of this trench and the existence of many mezzanines, water tanks, stables for horses and pantries.
Most importantly, there are high towers where a visitor or tourist can climb to the top of these towers and see the mountains covered with trees.
The beautiful valleys can sometimes be seen in the Dead Sea, Lake” Tiberias”, Mount of “Sheikh”, Jordan Valley and Jerusalem.
Ajloun Museum is located inside the castle and contains many artifacts, drawings, inscriptions, stones, catapults, pottery and coins are collected from the entire Ajloun region, dating back to or before Bronze Age.
The castle is not the only tourist attraction to Ajloun . Ajloun is a mountainous area covered by evergreen trees
Oak, maple and hawthorn and mild climate in summer and cold winter in addition to the valleys and the most famous valley mills.
7 - Castle Karak: This castle is located in the province of Karak south of the capital Amman 129 km and near the city of Karak overlooking the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley on a plateau rising 900 meters above sea level.
This castle is mentioned in the Old Testament and is said to be the oldest known fortress in Jordan.
The length of this fortress is 220 m and the width of the north side is 125 m and the southern side 40 m.
This castle was built during the Crusades by the Prince of Jerusalem "Falk" but there are historical studies and archaeological discoveries that showed that the foundation of the castle dates back to the ninth century BC.
It is of great strategic importance because it is governed by the convoys between Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, and the Red Sea
It played a major role in political and military events.
The entire castle became a heritage museum in 1980, with many monuments and coins belonging to the kingdoms that ruled the castle and its surroundings
The museum includes a collection of Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Islamic artifacts.
Under this castle there is a unique system of vestibules, corridors and endless vaults.
It is characterized by high towers where tourists can climb on these towers and see the beautiful views such as the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley adjacent to the city and see the lights of Jerusalem at night.
8 – Al-Maghtas: This holy place is located north of the Dead Sea by 9 km on the eastern bank of the Jordan River "Old River" or "River Sharia" in an area called "Kharar".
This site has been adopted on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is located 50 km from Amman.
The site was discovered in 1997 after drilling and excavation in that area and appeared to the world this archaeological basin after the absence of more.
More than 1500 years have been affected by wars and natural disasters.
Christian religious sources and archaeological and historical evidence say that the Prophet Jesus, who came from Nazareth at the hands of John the Baptist when he was 30 years old, was baptized in the early period of the Annunciation.
Pope John Paul II visited the baptismal bath in 2000 and declared that it was the place where the baptism of Christ took place 2,000 years ago.
Thousands of Christian pilgrims and visitors each year are estimated to be over 300,000, especially in January, where the annual epiphany is dedicated for Hajj, prayer, worship and tourism.
Five pools and five churches were discovered in this site, surrounded by numerous monasteries, mosaics, temples, baptismal basins, small caves for the saints and many Roman and Byzantine monuments.
9- Hot Springs Spa: Jordan is ranked fifth in the world in medical tourism so it is the destination of thousands of visitors throughout the year.
For fun, recreation, therapy and psychological comfort.
Hot springs are spread along the western border of Jordan, most famous of which is Maeen Baths. It is located in the governorate of Madaba, 58 km south of Amman.
The water temperature is more than 60 degrees at the source and the waterfall is very abundant and the spring water is very rich in sodium, potassium, sodium chloride, zinc sulphate and hydrogen sulfide.
Many experiments and research by scientists and testimonies have shown that bathing with these springs helps to cure some chronic and severe diseases such as dermatology, joint pain, rheumatism, gout, vascular pain, varicose veins, chronic sinusitis, some gynecological diseases, and neurological and muscular diseases.
The inhalation of rising steam helps in symptoms for people with chest diseases, especially smokers.
Tourists, patients and visitors can be exposed to water by shower, Jacuzzi, bubble bath or body fat with mud.
Maeen Baths are not the only ones in Jordan. There are” Hammah” baths, which are no less important than Maeen Baths and are located in Irbid Governorate, north of the capital, Amman, 100 km away.
10 - Bella: "layer Fahl" located in the portfolio of Irbid, 26 km from Irbid and 80 km north of the capital Amman.
Antiquities dating back to the Stone Age and Bronze Age have been discovered and historical studies say that the city was inhabited for 10,000 years and contains a Roman amphitheater, churches and the temple of Canaanite.
Bella was named after the city where Alexander the Macedonian was born. It is one of the ten cities of the Roman alliance, the Dicapulas, founded by Emperor Pompey to confront the Arab Nabatean state.
In the end, Jordan is a very important tourist destination because it contains a lot of important sites that tell especially the history of the first Christian
There are other areas difficult to talk about in one article such as the Roman Amphitheater in Amman and Cave of the Cave people famous story contained in the Koran and the Bible and the Bible.
References:
Jordan Tourism Promotion Authority
Jordan News Agency
http: //wadirum-mm.blogspot.com
http: //www.alaqaba.jo