“Jordan has a strange, haunting beauty and a sense of timelessness. Dotted with the ruins of empires once great, it is the last resort of yesterday in the world of tomorrow.” I was drawn to Jordan for the same reasons noted here by its former King Hussein. Known as an ‘oasis of stability’ in the volatile Middle East, this constitutional monarchy is home to many refugees along with its diverse populous from affluent entrepreneurs in the modern White City of Amman to nomadic Bedouins in the ancient Rose Red City of Petra. Jordan is full of beautiful historic and natural sites including the Dead Sea, rolling desert hills and valleys, and a number of nature preserves.
I joined Abraham Tours for a much too brief two days in Jordan in the middle of my Israel trip. This was part of their 10 Day Israel and Jordan package, but can also be booked alone as a 2 or 3 day trip for $398 and $511 USD respectively. All meals, transports, site entry fees, guided tours, and campsite housing are included with an upgrade available for a private tent or hotel. They made all the border crossings very easy with explicit instructions and door to door transportation. We paid a $31 USD exit tax to leave Israel via the Jordan River/Sheikh Hussein Crossing in the north and met our tour guide on the Jordanian side who collected our passports and paid our $56 USD visa fee to be collected later along with the $15 USD exit fee for the following day via the Allenby Bridge Crossing in the south.
Jerash: Considered the best preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy, the ancient city of Jerash lies in contrast to the modern city surrounding it, a nod to the area’s 6500+ years of inhabitance. From the 1st millennium BC settlers under Alexander the Great, Roman rule from 63 BC until its partial destruction in the 749 CE and 847 CE earthquakes, repurposed as a Crusader fortress in the 12th century, and subsequently deserted until the arrival of the Ottomons in the 16th century, the rich Byzantine history of Jerash was only uncovered in 1920. Entering through the tourist trap shops, the first impressive structure is the remaining columns of the hippodrome, the arena which held public chariot races, soldier training, and gladiator death matches in which slaves chose to participate for a chance at freedom. Though there’s no record of animal vs human fights there, its popularity at that time indicates it may have only been accessible to the rich. Passing under Hadrian’s Arch, you’ll reach the center of the ancient city, a colonnaded oval shaped forum where Andrea Bocelli performed in 2017. Gated at each end, the stone streets are specifically designed to avoid deep cart ruts, infused with a series of round manhole covers, and lined with columns whose increased height indicates the importance of the building behind. The large nymphaeum or public water fountain supplied by aqueducts had seven carved lion’s head through which water flowed. The steps going up to the Temple of Artemis are in seven sets of seven stairs each (I’m seeing a pattern of significance here) and conclude the pilgrimage from the edges of town where offerings were brought to the goddess who protected the city. From atop the hill, there are amazing contrasting views of the ancient and modern city. From here you’ll pass by the Byzantine churches and Zeus’ Temple on the way to the large South Theater (there’s a smaller one on the north end). The amphitheater entries, stage, and seating are incredibly intact and left in their original state (unlike the theater in Caesarea, Israel), with locals playing bagpipes for tips and acoustics so perfect you can hear a whisper from the stage to the top reminding me of the amphitheater in Epidaurus, Greece. With my short trip to Jordan so focused on visiting Petra, I was blown away by this unexpected ancient gem.
Amman: Our tour of Amman was from the bus with our local guide providing information as we drove. Jordan’s modern capital city is a highly populated center of commerce bringing in masses of tourists and businesses alike. Known as the White City, most buildings are made of limestone with residential buildings limited to four floors but the fast growing city recognizes the need to expand upwards. The two mixed use Jordan Gate Towers currently under construction stand out high above the city at 37 and 44 floors. The city is divided into 7 sectors, each getting water one day a week which is stored in a tank on the flat rooftops, it is the desert after all. Unfortunately, this water is not potable, so bottled water must be used for drinking and cooking, but sadly I’ve too often observed what comes with a bottled water dependent county…trash all over the ground, and Jordan is no exception. We were quite impressed by the extremely affluent neighborhood with numerous mansions each trying to one up their neighbor, but the newest sprawling homestead pictured here has given them all a run for their money. In sharp contrast at the edges of the city lie temporary shacks built by the gypsies, ostracized and looked down upon for their begging and scavenging ways of life. I wish we had more time to get into the city and culture of Amman and would definitely include that in a longer trip.
Petra: Just driving to Petra through the sandstone desert mountains is amazing, both in their rolling beauty and deep history as part of Moses’s 40 years of wandering and possible burial site for his brother Aaron whose tomb lies at the top of Mount Hor near Petra. Settled as early as 9000 BC, the Rose Red City of Petra became the Nabataean capital in the 4th century BC brining in great wealth from trade. Impressive structures were literally carved into the Shara Mountains and remain relatively intact today as seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Like Jerash and much of the middle east, the Romans came to town and took over in 106 CE adding Byzantine style churches, theaters, and columns to the site. Greatly damaged by earthquakes the city soon declined until it was lost in the red iron-rich hills known only to the nomadic Bedouins who lived there. Fortunately for us, their long kept secret was discovered in 1812 by a Swiss archeologist disguised as a local seeking pilgrimage. In 1985, UNESCO named Petra a World Heritage Site and moved the Bedouins into the nearby town of Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses) giving them education, opportunity, and exclusive rights to Petra’s booming tourism business. With only 5 hours at the site, our tour guide gave us a few options to make the most of our time: begin with his guided tour to the Treasury then ride a donkey to the farthest point at the Monastery, skip his tour and get to the Monastery by foot up 850 steps, or what I chose which was remaining with the tour then wandering the other areas by foot forgoing the long trek to the Monastery. Horses and horse drawn carriages are available from the front, then camels and donkeys await down at the Treasury. The animals are led by guides who likely won’t have much to say about the ruins, but a local tour guide can be hired as well, fluent in many languages. Armed with a numbered site map, we began at the Bab Al Siq (1) or gateway with typical Nabatean tombs and architecture carved directly into the red rock. The Dam (2) brought rain water down a 288 foot tunnel to nearby villages. The naturally occurring 0.75 mile gorge entry to the city, known as The Siq (3), is not only stunningly beautiful but also offered relative safety from sudden attack. Running along the walls are channels to bring water into the city while the carvings that greeted visitors partially remain along the sides of the rock. Emerging from the high narrow walls of the gorge and viewing The Treasury (4) for the first time is best done purposefully and with mindful awareness as you’ll never get this initial stunning experience again. At 120 feet high, this impressive misnamed structure was likely the mausoleum of a Nabatean king, but instead is known for the legend that a treasure was held inside the urn high atop the center column which still bares the scars of gunshots hoping to expose the loot (hint: nothing was there). Unfortunately, you cannot go inside the secured structure as there’s nothing in there anyways, but can and should take a lot of selfies with the camels out front. On my own for the rest of the morning and declining many animal rides, I was happy to explore at my own pace. Coming next to the Street of Facades (5), there are numerous small tombs carved into the mountains which you can go into. My goal for the day was to make it to the top of the High Place of Sacrifice (6) for its spectacular views. Though the Nabateans kindly carved lots of steps into the mountain they forgot handrails, and I found this alleged 45 minute climb more difficult as I was running low on water and time. Stopping about 30 minutes up I met a Bedouin who called himself Caveman from which I purchased ice cold water and joined him for some tea, a local sign of hospitality I couldn’t refuse. Sitting with him in the shade he told me about living in the caves, all the languages he spoke self-taught by tourists, offered me some off path hiking for an additional cost to view the Treasury from above (the famous Instagram shot), and played his flute as I ultimately decided to descend at this point forgoing the summit to see more of the site with my limited time. There are amazing panoramic views just a short ways up and I can highly recommend climbing at least to this point. The Theater (7) and Nymphaeum (9) lead to the Colonnaded Street (11), the center of business, and finally the Qasr al-Bint (13), Petra’s most important temple. From there, the steps ascend to the Lion Triclinium (14) and the Ad Deir Monastery (15), the largest carved façade in Petra. Knowing I was too limited on time to visit, I took the advice of a local fellow to head up the trail on the opposite side towards the Winged Lion Temple and Byzantine Church (10). From the hilltop there I could appreciate the Great Temple (12) which I didn’t even notice from the street level as it is so high up. This path continues up to the Royal Tombs (8), but I was tired and in need of water and ice cream before it was time to walk back through the Siq to meet my bus and return to Jerusalem.
Near Petra, we stayed one night in the Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp in the mountains. Arriving at night with views of the towns below, we were greeted at the property by twinkling lights in the hills, a glowing fire pit surrounded by a circle of colorful cushioned seating, a full dinner, and hospitality tea with hookahs for sale around the fire after dinner. The ‘tents’ were permanent canvas structures with a door that only locks from the inside and a small window for fresh air. The bathrooms are shared and quite minimal. Lights and electricity go out at midnight when the generator goes off. The beds are basic and covered in numerous thick blankets, which I only saw the need for in the middle of the night when the desert temps dropped dramatically. Unfortunately, with just a sheet of fabric between everyone and the outside world, you can hear every sniffle, snore, and snippet of conversation. As cool as the experience was, I wish I had opted for the hotel upgrade.
I hope one day I can return to see more of Jordan. I would love to hike and camp around Petra with my new friend Caveman, and anyone else interested in doing so can reach him at 00962-0775446607. Our other wonderful local guide Madhi when not tied up with his Abraham Tours commitments would be another great resource and can be reached at 00962-0795859116. Everyone I encountered in Jordan was extremely friendly from the Bedouin guides offering hospitality tea and advice to the handsome Passport police who even had jokes for us as he boarded our bus. Jordan truly is a gem in the turbulent Middle East full of history and mystery.