Umm Al Jimal

The provincial town of Umm al-Jimal, 50km northeast of Amman, was garrisoned by Roman soldiers from about 200 AD onward. This triggered an expansion of trade and commerce, until by 500 AD the town could boast a population of three or four thousand people. The precincts were gradually abandoned following the 7th century Arab conquest and 8th century earthquakes, although they were briefly re-occupied by the French Army in the 1920s, and by the Druze in the 1930s.

Little is known of pre-historical times in Umm el-Jimal, aside from few scattered remains of what appear to be settlements of wandering nomadic/hunting tribes. In some of these places it is possible to find chert napping stones and some prehistoric tools.

Al Shawbak

A twelfth century castle on the way to Petra, Shawbak enjoys a superb location in the midst of sharp rock ridges, well protected from any invading forces that might arrive. Nowadays the castle is in poor repair, but receives scarcely a visitor, despite its beautiful setting and the opportunities to walk alone through the imposing remains.

Although Karak grabs the headlines, Shobak Castle, a short way further south, was in fact the Crusaders’ headquarters in Jordan, and the first castle they built in the region. Known then as Montreal – or the Royal Mountain – Shobak dominates the folded, semi-arid hills on the approaches to Petra.
The legacy of widescale rebuilding work in the 1290s, under Mamluke control, is everywhere, most notably in the carved stone panels adorning the external walls and towers, which feature strikingly beautiful Arabic callligraphy.

Roam the ruins to discover the original Crusader chapel, a palace complex and even a set of secret passages, one of which heads down a flight of steep and crumbling steps into blackness, eventually emerging through a small gateway at the base of the castle hill.

Petra

Petra (from the Latin word 'petrae', meaning 'rock') lies in a great rift valley east of Wadi 'Araba in Jordan about 80 kilometers south of the Dead Sea. It came into prominence in the late first century (BC) through the success of the spice trade. The city was the principal city of ancient Nabataea and was famous above all for two things: its trade and its hydraulic engineering systems.

Evidence suggests that settlements had begun in and around Petra in the eighteenth dynasty of Egypt (1550-1292 BC). It is listed in Egyptian campaign accounts and the Amarna letters as Pel, Sela or Seir. 

Though the city was founded relatively late, a sanctuary existed there since very ancient times. Stations 19 through 26 of the stations list of Exodus are places associated with Petra. 

This part of the country was Biblically assigned to the Horites, the predecessors of the Edomites. The habits of the original natives may have influenced the Nabataean custom of burying the dead and offering worship in half-excavated caves. 

Although Petra is usually identified with Sela which means a rock, the Biblical references refer to it as "the cleft in the rock", referring to its entrance. The second book of Kings xiv. 7 seems to be more specific. In the parallel passage, however, Sela is understood to mean simply "the rock".

According to tradition, the Petra area (but not necessarily the site itself) was populated by Edomites and the area was known as Edom ("red"). Before the Israelite incursions, the Edomites controlled the trade routes from Arabia in the south to Damascus in the north. Little is known about the Edomites at Petra itself, but as a people they were known for their wisdom, their writing, their textile industry, the excellence and fineness of their ceramics, and their skilled metal working. 

Excavations have demonstrated that it was the ability of the Nabataeans to control the water supply that led to the rise of the desert city, creating an artificial oasis. The area is visited by flash floods and archaeological evidence demonstrates the Nabataeans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns and water conduits. These innovations stored water for prolonged periods of drought, and enabled the city to prosper from its sale

 Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of "the 40 places you have to see before you die". And it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourist attraction.

Map of Petra

Ma'in Hot Springs

Lying 264-meters below sea level, Ma’In Hot Springs is the inspired site for the well appointed Evason Ma’In Hot Springs. Set like an oasis in the dramatic terrain, the location is easily accessible and defines the resort and spa experience in the Middle East - making it a destination of choice for those seeking the perfect retreat to relax and be pampered whilst enjoying the therapeutic benefits of Ma’In hot spring waterfalls.

The hot thermal springs at Hammamat Ma’in and Al-Himma are a great way to relax and get great befits from the Hot Springs and also dont forget to take time out to visit some of the historic architecture of the area.
Close by are two sites linked by tradition to Herod the Great. One is the palace at Mukawir (Machaerus), where Salome traditionally danced, and where John the Baptist was beheaded. King Herod was said to have bathed in the medicinal waters of the springs and people have come here for thermal treatments, or simply to enjoy a hot soak, since the days of Rome.

The Jordan Valley is a great place for thrill-seekers of all ages and abilities. The hills, valleys and waterways that lead down to the Dead Sea, provide a natural playground for a multitude of outdoor activities, including leisurely walks, exhilarating horseback rides, and challenging climbs. Almost all activities take place under Jordan’s strict code of nature conservation that all visitors are expected to respect.

Karak

Al-Karak, also spelled Kerak ,  town, west-central Jordan. It lies along the Wadi Al-Karak, 15 miles (24 km) east of the Dead Sea. Built on a small, steep-walled butte about 3,100 feet (950 metres) above sea level, the town is the Qir-hareseth, or Qir-heres, of the Old Testament and was one of the capitals of ancient Moab. Its ancient name means “Wall of Potsherds” in Hebrew, or “City of Potsherds” in ancient Moabite.

The town is built on a triangular plateau, with the castle at its narrow southern tip. The castle is some 220m long, 125m wide at the north end, and 40m wide at the southern end where a narrow valley deepened by a ditch separates it from the adjoining and much higher hill – once Saladin's favourite artillery position. Throughout the castle, dark and roughly-shaped Crusader masonry is easy to discern from the finely-crafted blocks of lighter and softer limestone used in later Arab work. 

An ancient Crusader stronghold, Karak sits 900m above sea level and lies inside the walls of the old city. The city today is home to around 170,000 people and continues to boast a number of restored 19^th century Ottoman buildings, restaurants, places to stay, and the like. But it is undoubtedly Karak Castle that dominates.

While the castle we see today essentially dates back to the 12^th century, Karak has been a fortress since biblical times. The Bible relates how the King of Israel and his allies from Judah and Edom ravaged Moab and besieged its king Mesha in the fortress of Kir Heres, as Karak was then known.

Jerash

In its heyday, Jerash (known in Roman times as Gerasa) had a population of 15, 000 to 20, 000 inhabitants and, although it wasn't on any major trade route, its citizens prospered from the good agricultural land that surrounded it. The ancient walled city that survives today was the administrative, commercial, civic and religious center of Jerash. The bulk of the inhabitants lived on the eastern side of Wadi Jerash (now the modern town of Jerash) and the two centers were linked by causeways and processional paths.

The city's golden age came under Roman rule and the site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theaters, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates.

Beneath its external Graeco - Roman veneer, Jerash also preserves a subtle blend of east and west. Its architecture, religion and languages reflect a process by which two powerful cultures meshed and coexisted - The Graeco-Roman world of the Mediterranean basin and the traditions of the Arab Orient.

Ajloun

Ajlun (or Ajloun) is just a short journey from Jerash, so it can be combined with an easy day trip from Amman. It is filled with pine forest and olive groves and boasts scores of ancient sites, including watermills, forts and villages, all in the beautiful hills and valleys of northern Jordan.
In Ajlun town the mosque, just southwest of the main roundabout, has a minaret dating back some 600 years.

As the countryside of pine forest and olive groves is good for hiking and is popular with picnicking locals in summer, when the surrounding hills are a few degrees cooler than the rest of Jordan. If possible, visit on a clear day - the views are superb.

While Ajlun Castle (Qal'at Ar-Rabad) is the place that must not be missed, it was built by one of Saladin's generals in 1184 AD to control the iron mines of Ajlun, and to deter the Franks from invading Ajlun. Ajlun Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan Valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria; it became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who, unsuccessfully spent decades trying to capture the castle and the nearby village. 

The original castle had four towers, arrow slits incorporated into the thick walls, and was surrounded by a moat averaging 16m in width and up to 15m deep.

In 1215 AD, the Mameluk officer Aibak ibn Abdullah expanded the castle following Usama's death, by adding a new tower in the southeast corner and a bridge that can still be seen decorated with pigeon reliefs.
The castle was conceded in the 13^th century to Salah ed-Din Yousef Ibn Ayoub, ruler of Aleppo and Damascus, who restored the northeastern tower. These expansion efforts were interrupted in 1260 AD, when Mongol invaders destroyed the castle, but almost immediately, the Mameluk Sultan Baybars re-conquered and rebuilt the fortress.

Nearby is the Ajlun Nature Reserve, a 13 sq. km protected area of outstanding beauty and diverse wildlife. Within the reserve are two nature trails and chalet-style accommodation. The reserve is managed and maintained by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

Amman - Jordan

The modern city that is built on the sands of time........

Amman, the capital city of Jordan, is a fascinating city of contrasts, with a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley. 

In the commercial heart of the city, ultra-modern buildings, hotels, smart restaurants, art galleries and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisans' workshops. Everywhere there is evidence of the city’s much older past.
The downtown area is much older and more traditional with smaller businesses producing and selling everything from fabulous jewellery to everyday household items.

The people of Amman are multicultural, multi-denominational, well-educated and extremely hospitable. They welcome visitors and take pride in showing them around their fascinating and vibrant city. 

Amman  is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World.  Recent excavations have uncovered homes and towers believed to have been built during the Stone Age with many references to it in the Bible.

Amman was known in the Old Testament as Rabbath-Ammon, the capital of the Ammonites around 1200 BC, it was also referred to as "the City of Waters".

Under the influence of the Roman culture, Philadelphia was reconstructed in typically grand Roman style with colonnaded streets, baths, an Amphitheater, and impressive public buildings.  In the 3rd century BC, the City was renamed Philadelphia (Greek for "The Brotherhood Love") after the Ptolemaic ruler Philadelphus (283-246 BC). 

The City later came under Seleucid as well as Nabataean rule until the Roman General Pompey annexed Syria and made Philadelphia part of the Decapolis League.  Under the influence of the Roman culture, Philadelphia was reconstructed in typically grand Roman style with colonnaded streets, baths, an Amphitheater, and impressive public buildings.

During the Byzantine period, Philadelphia was the seat of a Christian Bishop, and therefore several churches were built.  But As Islam spread northwards from the Arabian Peninsula, the land became part of its domain and its original Semitic name Ammon or Amman was returned to it.

Today Amman has grown rapidly into a modern, thriving metropolis of well over two million people.  It has never rivaled Damascus or Cairo as a grand Islamic city of antiquity. For those arriving from Syria or Egypt it can, depending on your perspective, feel either refreshingly or disappointingly modern and Westernised.

Residents talk openly of two Ammans. Conservative and Islamic in its sympathies, Eastern Amman (which includes downtown) is home to the urbanised poor. And western Amman is a world apart, with leafy residential districts, trendy cafés and bars, and impressive art galleries. It's impossible to gain a full understanding of Amman, or even Jordan, without visiting both areas.