We ended up 431m below sea level at the lowest point on earth. After complicated travels in the north, we decided to relax for one day at the Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea. The Dead Sea is an ideal resting location on the way to Petra and Wadi Rum. The history of the Dead Sea...
We arrived at the site (Bethany Beyond the Jordan, 🎟️ 12 JOD) around 4 pm, and it was closed already, so we just parked off the road behind some bushes. In the morning, we took a covered walking trail that meanders past ancient steps down to the original water level and the sparse...
After that, we drove through an even worse road around Iraq Al Amir towards the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ. Iraq Al-Amir translates to “Caves of the Prince” because of the series of 15 caves carved into the cliff above the village. Some of the caves were open, and some were closed. We...
It took us around an hour to climb steep hills and narrow roads from Amman to the small but impressive Qasr Al Abad. It is one of the very few examples of pre-Roman construction in Jordan. Mystery surrounds the palace, and even its precise age isn’t known. However, most scholars believe...
Today, finally, we drove out of Amman, and we made a short stop at the museum (🎟️ 5 JOD), which displays more than 70 classic cars and motorbikes from the personal collection of King Hussein. It’s a gem and a great way to recount the story of modern Jordan. Vehicles range from pre...
In the evening, we strolled around Rainbow Street, where Ammanis come every evening to promenade and visit the many great cafes and restaurants – to see and be seen. In the daytime, there are plenty of shops selling souvenirs. Many shops sadly went bankrupt because of COVID-19, and...
Of course, we were so lucky that after a 30-minute drive from downtown, we arrived at the site, and the guard told us it was closed. The “Seven Sleepers” legend involves seven Christian boys whom the Roman Emperor Trajan persecuted, then escaped to a cave and slept there for...
We arrived at an imposing building that looked like a futuristic military base. Inside is Amman´s newest Royal Tank Museum (🎟️ 5 JOD), which opened in 2018. It was our honor and great pleasure to have a private visit guided by the general manager, Mr. Maher A. Tarawneh, through 20,000...
Our first stop on the busy sightseeing day was the Hejaz Railway, which once ferried pilgrims from Damascus in Syria to Amman and then to Medina in Saudi Arabia. Still, only the breeze rolls through this historic old station at present. There’s a small on-site museum (🎟️ free), and...
We spent a few days in Amman, Jordan’s capital and largest city. The city is built on rolling hills at the eastern boundary of the ʿAjlūn Mountains, on the small, partly perennial Wadi ʿAmmān and its tributaries. Fortified settlements have existed there since remote antiquity...