ammonnews.net

By Eman Safouri

A land rooted in history, blessed by Relegions, and has been home to various of humanity's earliest settlements and villages, harboring hidden relics from one of the world's great civilizations, Jordan. From the enchanting starkness of the desert to the restless city and urban life to the majestic ruins of civilizations, lost cities, and Lawrence of Arabia, Jordan is a magical land that exudes splendor and mystery and offers endless wonders.

As a safe country in the Middle East, Jordan is quietly becoming a premier destination within the region, continuing to enthrall a whole new generation as a modern, vibrant nation that has delighted visitors for centuries, offering amazing attractions, breathtaking sights, charming accommodations, and exquisite traditional and international cuisine, as well as bazaars and ancient monuments.

Jordanians are typically kind, friendly, and hospitable. They are generally socially conservative; family values and honor are fiercely valued. Travelers who come for beauty will be delighted and touched by the generosity of Jordanians who take pride in their heritage.

Jordan’s Independence Day is on May 25th. Amman is the capital and has a deep history and cultural strands that enrich the Jordanian legacy.

Through successive civilizations, Jordan has embraced a large number of archaeological sites that are the result of the human relining of its heritage, religion, and social and material interaction at each stage of its history. This combination constitutes the integration of originality and the contemporary. There are a variety of attractions to discover and enjoy seeing at least once in your life; the cultural historical sites, the famous UNESCO World Heritage sites (Petra, Wadi Rum, Qusair Amra, Umm al-Rasas, Bethany Al-Maghtas and As-Salt), the Jordan River, Mount Nebo, Madaba, and the many mosques and churches dating back to the Medieval period.

The ruins of Jerash, Ajloun, the green and sloping hills of northern Jordan and the splendid Ajloun Castle, Irbid, one of the ancient Decapoli (one of the great 10 cities in the eastern Roman Empire), Al- Mafraq the crossroads of international roads, Zarqa, where are set many ancient castles and fortresses, and Ma'an, which serves as a good stopover in the southern reaches of Jordan.

Shoubak, one of Jordan's most significant and impressive historical sites, where stands the impressive Crusader castle of Shobak, a unique insight into the fortification structures of the European Crusaders of the 11th and 12th centuries. 

Kerak, the City of Potsherds, where the stunning silhouette of this fortified city and castle will swiftly make you realize why the kings and nations settled here for thousands of years.

Tafila is well known for having green gardens, historical archaeological, and religious sites and shrines, as well as Afra mineral pools and the Dana biosphere reserve, Jordan's largest nature reserve, deep in its mountains, where you will find authentic Bedouin hospitality and natural beauty at the Ecolodge in magnificent Wadi Feynan. Aqaba on the Red Sea Jordan's coastal city is popular for snorkeling, diving, and for coral reef, and marine life discovering. Thus, to notice another side of Jordan is to see the diversity of the land via Wadi Araba road and the Jordan valley.

Educational tourism, popular culture visits connected and museums in new and old streets and shopping centers. Health tourism is offered as well, focused on the Dead Sea with its cleansing mud baths.It is best not to miss the mineral hot springs and waterfalls of Ma'in hot springs, or Hammamat Ma'in. These are just a few examples of the treasures awaiting visitors to this superb kingdom. 

Shaumari Wildlife Reserve is home to some of the most endangered and rare wildlife in the Middle East, such as herds of gazelles, Arabian oryx, onagers, etc., as well as the migrating birds at Azraq Wetland Reserve. Furthermore, among the marveling adventurous activities in Jordan, there is stunning gorge hiking at Wadi al Mujib in the Mujib Biosphere Reserve, which is known as the lowest natural reserve on the globe. In addition, there are many trails and hiking experiences all over the kingdom. Trekking the ancient caravan trails from the highlands of Moab and Edom, hiking the wooded hills of biblical Gilead.

Furthermore, camel caravans plied the legendary King’s Highway, trading luxury goods like frankincense and spices, while Nabatean tradesmen, Roman legionnaires, Muslim armies, and zealous Crusaders all passed through the land, leaving behind impressive monuments. These monuments, including Roman amphitheaters, Crusader castles, and Christian mosaics. As well as Ammonite, Moabite, and Nabaty heritage, have always fascinated humanity on the search trip of antiquity and the origins of faith.

Jordan remains one-of-a-kind destination that offers a well-traveled bridge between sea and desert, east and west, and is a land of mesmerizing beauty and rich history. In other words, it is the passion of the traveler.