Jordan
Machaerus is known locally as Qala’at Al Meshneq (Castle of the Gallows), a fitting name given that it is renowned as the place where John the Baptist was…
Must-see attractions in Jordan
Jordan
If you can find this little scrap of history near the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, you deserve a medal! Once a robust and practical structure, built by the…
Dead Sea
This public facility goes under the full title of Amman Beach Tourism Resort, Restaurant & Pools. The beach, 2km south of the main resort strip, gives…
Dead Sea Highway
This wonderful reserve, which ranges from an altitude of 900m above sea level to 400m below, was originally established by the Royal Society for the…
Jordan
More terraced fields than wadi, Wadi Jadid is locally renowned for its remarkable collection of early Bronze Age burial chambers and stone memorials…
Jerash
Built sometime between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD, this ancient sports field (244m by 50m) was once surrounded by seating for up to 15,000 spectators,…
Jordan
Built in the 4th century, the ‘Monastery of Caves’ is a purpose-built Roman fort that primarily served as a sentry post. Like its famous neighbour Umm Al…
Jordan
If you have a car and are intrigued to know why all roads out of Irbid seem to lead to Yarmouk battleground, follow the signs northeast towards the…
Aqaba
The fort (currently closed for renovation with no set reopening date) was built between 1510 and 1517, as attested by the Arabic inscriptions inside the…
Jordan
Located in the Ajloun Highlands, this small (just 13 sq km) but vitally important nature reserve was established by the Royal Society for the Conservation…
Madaba Archaeological Park I & Virgin Mary Church
Madaba
Some careful restoration and excavation in the early 1990s led to the creation of this open-air museum, which houses a collection of ruins and fine…
Wadi Rum
The western flank of Wadi Rum is formed by Jebel Rum (1754m), which towers over Rum village. It is a popular destination for scramblers and climbers who…
Madaba
This insignificant-looking church contains a remarkable mosaic dedicated to the Twelve Apostles. The embroidery-like mosaic was created in AD 568 and is…
Jerash
Before you finish exploring ancient Jerash, visit this compact museum and visitor centre just above the forum. It houses a small but worthwhile selection…
Jerash
Though most of it has collapsed, this temple has imposing 15m-high columns that are some of Jerash's most dramatic. The thick walls of the sanctum still…
Wadi Rum
The deeply crevassed ‘Mother of Twenty’, a 20-domed mountain forming the east flank of Wadi Rum, is connected to the Seven Pillars of Wisdom formation…
Dead Sea Highway
Lot's Cave, a stiff 10-minute climb up a steep flight of steps, is surrounded by the ruins of a small Byzantine church (5th to 8th centuries), a reservoir…
Wadi Rum
Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions, depicting camel caravans, hunting warriors and various animals, are common throughout the Wadi Rum area. The Alameleh…
Wadi Rum
One of the most visited of numerous canyons that riddle Wadi Rum, this 5km-long corridor of rock through the mountains offers opportunities for hiking,…
Church of St Cosmos & St Damianus
Jerash
When Christianity became the state religion under Emperor Constantine in 324, all Roman monuments that were tainted by so-called pagan practices were…
Wadi Rum
This spring, on the edge of the open sands, is a regular stop on the 4WD circuit. Alternatively, it can be reached on a soft sand hike from the Rest House…
Jordan
Established in 2004, this nature reserve consists of an 8-sq-km area of Aleppo pine and oak forest. Managed by the Royal Society for the Conservation of…
Jordan
The Romans built the small fort at Burqu to protect a seasonal lake that provided precious water in a highly arid region. They helped conserve the water …
Amman
The legend of the ‘seven sleepers’ involves seven Christian boys who were persecuted by the Roman Emperor Trajan, then escaped to a cave and slept there…
Mt Nebo
Amateur archaeologists will like Tell Hesban, 9km north of Madaba. Over the centuries this strategic hill has been a Bronze Age settlement, a Hellenistic…
Jordan
Pressed up against the cliffs on the opposite side of the highway to Wadi Rum is the seldom-visited Bedouin district of Humaiyma. Curious visitors who…
Dead Sea Panoramic Complex Lookout
Dead Sea Highway
Walk among cacti to this lookout, high above the Dead Sea, and then watch raptors wheel in the wadis below, and you will have to pinch yourself to think…
Jordan
Lying 10km north of Irbid, between the hills of Tell Abila and Tell Umm Al Amad, are the remains of the Decapolis city of Abila. Largely unexcavated, the…
Jordan
The neglected ruins of the 2000-year-old Nabataean temple of Khirbet Tannour are worth the hike up the hill for the view, if nothing else. A famous statue…
Jerash
Built in AD 162 over the remains of an earlier Roman temple, the Temple of Zeus was once approached by a magnificent stairway leading from the temenos …
Jordan
This small Roman fort, built from basalt in the 3rd century over the ruins of a 1st-century Nabataean building, is between Azraq and Safawi. The small…
Jerash
On the western side of the cardo maximus is the elegant nymphaeum, the main ornamental fountain of Jerash, dedicated to the water nymphs. Built about AD…
Mt Nebo
This spring is one of two places where Moses is believed to have obtained water by striking a rock. Six giant eucalyptus trees mark the spot, and there’s…
Jordan
The ruined Church of St Stephen, protected by a large hangar, is one of four churches in the original village of Umm Ar Rasas. Inside, the magnificent…
Mt Nebo
Originally built in 557, this church houses a remarkable mosaic with scenes of daily life such as agricultural work, fishing and winemaking (in particular…
Jordan
Part of the neighbouring fort complex in Hallabat, this hammam (bathhouse) has been extensively restored, revealing the underfloor piping system that was…
Jordan
The new Royal Botanic Garden aims to showcase Jordan's surprisingly varied flora and highlight best practice in habitat conservation. The site, which…
Madaba
Walkways lead around the ruins of this late-6th-century luxury private mansion, destroyed by fire and earthquake around 749. The walkways offer a good…
Jordan
The minimal ruins of this Roman temple date from the end of the 3rd century AD (two niches contained statues of the Roman emperors Diocletian and…
Madaba
Housed in several old Madaba residences, this museum features a 6th-century mosaic depicting a naked satyr; a saucy (and partly damaged) mosaic of Ariadne…
