Out of the vast desert sands and rock cliffs of Arabia, there exists a mighty kingdom in the Middle East. Rediscovered time and again, this is the stuff that local Bedouin tales are made of.
Officially referred to as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Jordan takes pride in being an independent and sovereign state. An Arab kingdom with a rich historical past, it emerged as a result of post World War 1 changes that led to its formal creation in December of 1948.
Other than being proudly sovereign, the country of Jordan is also politically liberal. It is no mean feat that Muslims and Christians coexist in this country, and there is no hostility between them. Free from unrest, the country is in a period of bustling economic reform. Open to free trade agreements, it enjoys the status of being a member of both the European Union and the Arab League. Thus, nowadays, it has emerged as a diverse market not only for trade and industry but also for travel and tourism from all around the world.
Located in the Gulf of Aqaba, Jordan is flanked by the banks of the Jordan River and by what used to be known as the land of Palestine. It is bordered on the north by Syria, on the northeast by Iraq, on the southeast by Saudi Arabia, and on the west by Israel.
Apart from access to the Dead Sea and a small outlet leading to the Red Sea, you could say that Jordan’s geography is almost entirely land-locked. This does not stop this small country, however, from attracting a large number of tourists and visitors every year.
With Amman as its capital and this capital as your base, you’d be in the best position to explore the rich culture and history of Jordan. You’d discover new places, fascinating traditions, local cuisine, and souvenir items on which to spend your Jordanian dinar. A good guide would be discreet enough to tell you, though, that food should always be eaten with the right hand and never with the left. And although both men and women can be seen in Western-style attire, the traditional headdress needs to be worn and the manner of dressing remains conservative.
From downtown Amman, you can venture out to explore Jordan’s most magnificent temples, monuments, artwork, and architecture. About 140 miles away would be the famous Rose-Red City carved out of cliffs of pink-hued sandstone. Known as Petra, the city can only be reached by walking your way through a narrow path called a siq. It ends dramatically in a breathtaking view of the Treasury or the El-Khazneh. This was once a structure that dominated the trade routes of Arabia, and it is now preserved as a UNESCO world heritage site. Once hidden away in the mountains of Jordan, the forgotten city of Petra has been featured worldwide in hit movies such as “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.
Not the last of the sights to see, another memorable site worth rediscovering would be Wadi Rum. Rising out of the rosy-red desert sand, this mountain is one that towers above in all its red and gold glory. Incidentally, this too has been featured on cinema, the most memorable of which would be “Lawrence of Arabia”.
You can continue on to the ends of The Dead Sea, where fish hardly survive due to the water’s extreme saltiness. High as its salt and mineral content is, this body of water is way below sea level. This makes it the perfect dipping spot due to its therapeutic effect.
Again, not the last item on our list would be the crumbling castle of Karak. Once home to the Crusaders, Karak is a mighty fortress founded on cobblestone. Fortified by high walls and penetrated by secret passageways, it has been immortalized onscreen through movies like “Kingdom of Heaven”.
With tons of things to do in such a relatively small geo-site, a great option would be choosing one of the escorted tours in Jordan. Host to several of the world’s greatest action-adventure movies, the kingdom of Jordan would be enough to fill the pages of your own personal memoir.
