Jordan: Top 15 Attractions in the Pearl of the Middle East

Ancient city of Petra

We suggest to start your acquaintance with the main tourist visiting card of the country - a unique ancient building - the city in the rocks.

Ancient Petra was the capital of the richest kingdom, which collected tribute from caravans transporting spices. The kingdom gradually went bankrupt when trade routes became sea routes. What remained afterwards was a once unique piece of architecture, full of all sorts of mysteries, repeatedly made into movies and still attracting thousands of eager travelers from all over the world.

City of Amman

Jordan's largest city, Amman, the country's capital, has centuries of history and many unique attractions.

Set on seven hills, the city combines the history and urban energy of the Middle East. Highlights include the Citadel with the ruins of the Roman Temple of Hercules, an ancient 6,000-seat theater and frolicking bazaars with aromas of spices and coffee. In the center is the old city with its narrow streets, and on the western hills are modern neighborhoods with cafes, galleries and hotels.

Amman is an ideal starting point for traveling to the Dead Sea, the city of Petra or the Wadi Rum Desert.

Wadi Rum Desert

This famous red Wadi Rum desert is so popular with tourists because of the amazing beauty of the sandstone mountains and natural arches.

You can discover prehistoric rock paintings and inscriptions on sheer cliffs (such as in the Khazali Canyon) and in caves. In honor of the famous Lawrence of Arabia, the desert has a natural spring in which, according to ancient legend, he washed his face.

Wadi al-Mawjib Canyon

Looking for beautiful views, canyoning and adrenaline rush, people who love outdoor activities should head to Wadi al-Maujib.

The Mujib Gorge is considered one of the most beautiful places in the entire Middle East. Interestingly, the Wadi Mujib Biosphere Reserve is the lowest reserve in the world - part of its territory is at a depth of up to 400 meters below sea level. It is home to many species of plants and animals, including goats, hyenas and Afghan foxes.

King Abdullah I Mosque

In the capital of Jordania in the eighties of the last century was erected the only Islamic temple where not only Muslims can enter.

The peculiarity of the temple is that at its base is a polygon, and the top is crowned with a dome of huge diameter - 35 meters. In the design of the domes used blue color, symbolizing the heavenly blue, and the golden rays of the sun illuminate the 99 names of the Muslim god.

Inside the structure is also amazingly beautiful. In the central hall, tourists see a gorgeous crystal chandelier with inscriptions from the Quran. In memory of King Abdullah I, the mosque has a museum where you can see personal belongings of the ruler, his photos, as well as various ceramics, coins, engravings on stone.

The ancient city of Jerash

Pompeii Orientale - this is the name of the ancient town of Jerash - the remains of an ancient settlement, well preserved to this day.

All architectural constructions here belong to the times of the Roman Empire. There is an archaeological museum, almost every day there is a theatrical performance based on Roman military plots, all July the city is the site of the festival of arts. This attraction of Jordan is considered the second most important after Petra.

The city of Aqaba

This is Jordan's only port on the Red Sea, as well as a world-famous resort, where modern hotels of famous brands Hyatt, Mövenpick, Hilton, InterContinental, Kempinski, located on the beachfront.

Almost all hotels in this resort provide services of different types of water sports, such as scuba diving, boat trips, water skiing and many others.

Archaeological Museum

To see the sights of Jordan, you should definitely visit the Archaeological Museum, located in the capital of the country. Under the roof of the museum, the cultural heritage of the country for several millennia is collected.

Here there are finds that have been preserved since the Paleolithic period. The most valuable are the plaster statues of Ain Ghazal, made six thousand years ago. They depict ancient people with tattoos on their bodies.

Dead Sea

Amazing and unusual nature - this is what everyone should definitely see in Jordan. Many people know about the Dead Sea, a very salty and healing body of water. What is so special about it?

The coast of the Dead Sea is very popular among tourists. And this is not surprising, because it has healing properties:

• Mineral waters improve blood circulation, smooth the skin, saturate the body with useful substances.
• The air masses coming from the Indian Ocean calm the nervous system and fill the body with oxygen.
• Even the sun at the Dead Sea has an exceptionally favorable effect on a person. Doctors recommend sunbathing here for up to 8 hours a day.
• Therapeutic muds have no analogues on the whole planet. They rejuvenate the body and continue the life cycle of each cell.

The Dead Sea should definitely be part of your Jordan travel itinerary.

Mount Nebo

The famous biblical mountain, the site of the supposed death of the prophet Moses, is also located in Jordan. To commemorate this event, a memorial complex was built on top of the mountain and restored by archaeologists.

At present there are memorial signs, Byzantine church with fragments of ancient mosaics. The mountain is very popular among pilgrims and tourists.

Roman Amphitheater in Amman

The largest landmark of the Roman civilization in the world and one of the most valuable sights in Jordan is the Roman Amphitheatre.

The huge preserved structure is carved into the rock. It still regularly hosts the city's cultural events (concerts, festivals) and seats 6,000 people at once.

El-Karak Fortress

A legendary defensive construction at an altitude of about 1000 meters. The multi-storey fortress hides a real labyrinth inside.

The construction is of historical value, besides, an archaeological museum is opened on its territory. Around the fortress grew a town of the same name, attractive for tourists.

Hot springs of Hammamat Ma'in

Travelers who want to relax will also find something to their liking in Jordan.

Hammamat Ma'in Hot Springs is the country's most famous and natural resort. The water in the pools and waterfalls is rich in minerals and valuable nutrients, and temperatures reach 60 degrees Celsius.

Mujib Reserve

When traveling around the Dead Sea, be sure to visit the Mujib Nature Reserve, located in a picturesque gorge that wraps around the Dead Sea.

This nature reserve was established in 1987 and, despite its relatively small area, it amazes with the diversity of flora and fauna: more than 100 species of birds, more than 400 species of plants and 10 species of animals. Here live such representatives of the Red Book as ibexes, red foxes and caracals.

To fully appreciate the beauty of this Jordanian attraction, five routes have been developed for tourist excursions through the reserve, which can be traveled on foot or by bicycle.

Royal Automobile Museum

The Royal Automobile Museum in the city of Amman is one of the most interesting museums in the country, where Jordan is revealed from a new perspective through the prism of the automotive industry.

It is one of the world's finest displays of motorcycles and cars, founded by King Abdullah as a tribute to past King Hussein after his death, and today one can appreciate the former monarch's grip on power by looking at historic and rare models.