Jordan

Ancient wonderland

Little did I know when I booked a trip to Jordan in July 2023 that, by the time it came to travel in November, a major war would have started in a neighbouring country with significant conflicts also seen in the West Bank. I travelled to Jordan nevertheless and was not disappointed. It actually felt a safe place to be although it was clear from the occupancy of hotels that many tourists had cancelled their visits.

I flew to the capital Amman and, before exploring the city further, I travelled north to Jerash. This Jordanian city has a very long history but it is particularly well known for its Roman and Byzantine architecture which is recognised as probably being some of the best preserved and extensive outside Italy. The vast site has colonnaded streets, gates, temples, theatres, baths and fountains and an oval plaza. It also has several churches built from the 4th century CE onwards which contain some wonderful mosaics. An earthquake destroyed the city in 749 CE and it was hidden under the sand for centuries. Excavations only began in 1925 and it is clear that there is still much more to be revealed at the site. Before returning to Amman I visited the impressive Ajloun castle built on Mount ‘Auf. It was built by a nephew of the Muslim leader Saladin in the 12th century CE.

On the next morning, I visited the Amman Citadel which is situated high above the downtown area of Amman. This site dates from the Bronze age and, since then, it has undergone many transformations during the Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad eras. Probably the most significant feature here is the impressive Temple of Hercules which is thought to be unfinished as no additional columns were discovered. As well as the remains of a 6th-century Byzantine church, there is a museum on site which is well worth a visit. From the Citadel’s major vantage point, there is a really good view of the vast, second-century CE, Roman amphitheatre in the old part of Amman.

In the afternoon, I headed south to the Dead Sea which borders Israel. I had some ideas about the Dead Sea beforehand - its biblical significance and its salinity but much more information was revealed to me during my visit. It is situated 427 m below sea level and is 306m deep. It is fed by the Jordan River but its level is falling by 1m every year due to irrigation projects upstream by Israel and Jordan and by evaporation. Hotels which were built quite recently close to the beach are no longer close! Its salinity is 9.7 times that of normal sea water which makes bathing in the Dead Sea very weird indeed but an experience not to be missed. Commercially many mineral and mud products are popular and are sold in the area, as well as the rest of Jordan.

Views of the sunrise and sunset from my hotel were some of the best in Jordan but the next day I travelled in the direction of Petra with visits on the way to Mount Nebo and Shoback Castle. Mount Nebo is about 700 m high and affords magnificent views across the Dead Sea, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. At the summit is the 5th century Memorial Church of Moses which has been well preserved by Franciscans. Its religious significance is that the mountain is believed to be where Moses stood to look at the promised land before his death. Shoback Castle is a 12th-century castle built by the Crusaders and, after withstanding many attacks, it fell to Saladin’s forces in 1189.

Petra, situated in southern Jordan, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the seven wonders of the world, and deservedly so. It is an enormous site and the absolute minimum length of visit must be one very full day. If you want to explore be prepared for a long, exhausting, but thrilling walk. Its geological features, are stunning as is the architecture left by the Nabateans, Edomites and Romans who inhabited this site through the centuries. I will let my images speak for themselves rather than more dialogue, except to say that is a must-visit.

The ‘Wadi Rum Protected Area’ is situated in the South of Jordan bordering Saudi Arabia. It is a nature reserve and UNESCO World Heritage site and has been the home of several Bedouin tribes for centuries. The ‘Valley of the Moon’ as it is known is the most amazing desert landscape with canyons and sandstone mountains. Staying overnight in a camp enabled me to have two long jeep safaris in the desert during which there were plenty of opportunities for photography, particularly at sunset and sunrise. Wadi Rum has been a very frequent movie destination. Films include Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, Dune and The Martian. Many films about Mars have been shot here and you can see why, please believe me, the sand is really as red as it appears in my images!

After returning on the fairly long journey to Amman, I briefly got to visit downtown Amman with its many shops and restaurants before returning home, having enjoyed good company and unforgettable memories.