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Amman
A sprawling city
spread over 19 hills. Amman is the modern, as well as the ancient
capital of the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan, known as Rabbath-Ammon
during prehistoric periods and later as Philadelphia.
The city has been a subject to numerous excavations which have
revealed remains from the Neolithic period as well as from the
Hellenistic and late Roman to Arab Islamic Ages. The site which is
known as the Citadel includes many structures such as the Temple of
Hercules, the Omayyad Palace and the Byzantine church. At the foot
of the Citadel lies the 6000 seat Roman Theatre which is deep-sided
bowl carved into the hill and still used for cultural events.
Another newly restored theater is the 500-seat Odeon which is used
for concerts.
The three museums found in the area offer a glimpse of history and
culture, they are the Jordan Archaeological Museums, the Folklore
Museum and the Museum of Popular Tradition.
The city is crowned by the Citadel, a hill with the ruins of the
Temple of Hercules, and a museum with artifacts dating back to the
earliest settlement in the region some 700,000 years ago. At the
foot of the Citadel lies the 5,000-seat Roman Theatre.
The distance between Amman and
Petra
approximately 240 km/ 150 mile.
Petra
The ancient
city of Petra is located in southern Jordan
about
240
kilometers south of Amman. Petra is now a
UNESCO world heritage site that enchants
visitors from all corners of the globe.
However, the name Petra, and the early name
Sela both mean the same thing, ‘Rock’. Petra
was the great capital of the Nabataeans,
from which, at the height of their power,
they ruled the country as far north as
Damascus. There was an earlier Edomite town
on the site, but of that practically no
traces now remain.
The city was extensively occupied from about
the fifth century B.C. to the fifth century
A.D., and was at its heyday during the fifth
centuries B.C. and A.D. Much of Petra's
appeal comes from its spectacular setting
deep inside a narrow desert gorge. The site
is accessed by walking through a kilometer
long chasm (or Siq), the walls of which soar
200 meters upwards. Petra's most famous
monument, the Treasury, appears dramatically
at the end of the Siq.
The
distance between Amman and Petra
approximately 240 km /
150 mile.
Wadi Rum
Stunning in its
natural beauty, Wadi Rum epitomizes the
romance of the desert, with its "moonscape"
of ancient valleys and towering sandstone
mountains rising out of the sand. It is best
known because of its connection with the
enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who
described as 'Vast, echoing and godlike'.
However, there are
many places to visit in this vast terrain,
the most important of which are Lawrence of
Arabia's springs, Jebel Khazali and the
mountain of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The
most tantalising experience, however,
remains a night's stay beside the fire and
under the most magnificent starry desert
sky.
The distance between
Wadi Rum and Petra
approximately 70 Km / 44 mile.
Aqaba
The city of
sun and clean sandy beaches and transparent
waters, it is an ideal location for both
relaxation and water sports. Sunbathing,
Swimming, para-sailing, water skiing and jet
skiing, are just some of the activities to
partake in.
Famed for its
preserved coral reefs and unique sea life,
this Red Sea port city was, in ancient
times, the main port for shipments from the
Red Sea to the Far East.
The Mameluk
Fort, One of the main historical land marks
of Aqaba was originally a Crusader Castle,
rebuilt by the Mameluks in the sixteenth
century. Square in shape and flanked by
semicircular towers, the fort is marked with
various inscriptions marking the latter
period of the Islamic dynasty.
The
distance between Aqaba and
Petra
approximately 120 km / 75
mile.
*Information courtesy of The Jordan
Tourism Board &
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
