Major Tourist Attractions In Jordon

Touring Amman should begin at the Citadel, which is now located -as in ancient times- at the heart of the city, facing the Roman theatre in the valley below. Many important relics from all across Jordan are housed in the Archaeological Museum located at the Citadel. Below the Citadel's southern rim is a stream known as Seil Amman. It is on its south bank that most of the Roman City of Philadelphia was situated. This included the main Forum, Theatre, Odeon, and various shops. The Amphitheatre is the largest in Jordan, with room for 6,000 spectators. The Theatre area is an ideal place to wander. There is a bustle of traffic and everyday life, stalls selling shish kebabs or ice creams as well as a bevy of souvenir shops. In the east wing of the stage is the Folklore Museum of Amman. In the western wing is the Museum of Popular Traditions. Steps lead to a gallery of exquisite Byzantine mosaic scenes from Madaba.

Amman is home to some of the grandest mosques in the Middle East. The newest of these is the enormous King Abdullah Mosque, built between 1982 and 1989. Located to the northwest of the Citadel, it is capped by a magnificent blue mosaic dome, beneath which 3,000 devotees can offer prayers. 

The most unusual mosque in Amman is the Abu Darwish Mosque, situated atop the Jabal Ashrafieh. It is covered with extraordinary black-and-white chequered patterns. Western Amman is considered very fashionable with modern shops and office buildings.

The impressive Hussein Sports City is the main site housing sports, cultural events and national festivities. Overlooking the Hussein Sports City is the Palace of Culture, which was built to resemble a Bedouin tent. The Sports City complex houses the Martyrs' Memorial and in it the military museum of Amman. For art lovers, the Jordan National Art Gallery and the Dar Al Funoun, both situated in Jabal Al-Weibdeh, are important stops. Other sites found around Amman are The Cave of the Seven Sleepers, which are myriad tombs with ornately sculpted covers. On the northern outskirts of Amman the remains of a prehistoric Neolithic settlement have been unearthed. The site located near Ain Ghazal, dates back to 7200 BC.

 Petra is the most famous attraction in Jordan. It is 262 km (160 miles) south of Amman. The nomadic Nabataeans Arabs, who were Bedouins from north Arabia, used it as a temporary refuge. They created the fortress of Petra out of pale pink rock. There are carved and built structures, soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a carved Roman theatre which can seat 3000, large and small houses, burial chambers, banquet halls, water channels and paved streets. For accommodation there are many hotels in the nearby village of Wadi Musa. Buses from Amman, Aqaba and Wadi Rum link Petra.
Wadi Rum, made of ancient valleys with towering weathered sandstone mountains rising out of white and pink sands, has breathtakingly beautiful desert scenery. Lawrence of Arabia spent a lot of time here. Wadi Rum is also home to several Bedouin tribes. Regular buses connect Amman and Petra to Wadi Rum. 
 Aqaba is a Red Sea resort and Jordan’s only outlet to sea. The best time to visit is winter because, while the rest of the country is feeling the cold in winter, temperatures here are around 25ºC. Summer temperatures can be as high as 38ºC.

You can fly into Aqaba from Amman and Cairo (Egypt). You can also come into Aqaba by passenger ferry from Nuweibe in Egypt. Daily bus services from Amman and Wadi Rum link Aqaba. Local minibuses and taxis will show you around the resort that includes the medieval city of Ayla, the Aqaba Fort, a museum and an aquarium. There is a beautiful undersea world of coral, fish and other marine life. Diving, snorkeling, water skiing, wind surfing, fishing and other water sports including scuba diving are very popular in Aqaba. The Aqaba Watersports Festival is held annually in mid November and includes water skiing and other water sports competitions of international standard. Accommodation and restaurants are available for all budgets.

Jerash is a beautifully preserved Roman city, 51 km north of Amman, known as the "Pompeii of the east". Artifacts and buildings dating back to the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods can be seen in temple theatres, plazas, baths and colonnaded streets. 

There are sound and light shows in summer and the annual Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts is held every July. Apart from driving there, you can take a service taxi or a bus or minibus from Amman. Jerash is ideal for a day trip since it is so close to Amman. From here, you can further connect to the towns of Ajlun, Irbid and Mafraq.

Ajlun is 22 km west of Jerash. The main attraction is Qala’at ar-Rabad a 12th century castle built on top a mountain by an Arab general as protection against Crusaders. It is an excellent example of Arab/Islamic military architecture. Luxury hotels and camping sites make overnight stay possible.

 Irbid has many Roman statues, tombs and archways. It is also the home of the Yarmouk University that has the famous Museum of Jordanian Heritage and the Natural History Museum. It is well connected by road from Amman and Jerash and has reasonable lodging and food. 
Umm Qais is famed for the Acropolis, the Nymphaeum and an excellent view of the Golan Heights (Syria) and the Sea of Galilee. The town of Al Hamma nearby is known for its therapeutic hot springs and is worth a visit. Umm Qais and Al Hamma have regular bus connections from Irbid. Please remember to carry your passport for the military checkpoint. 
 Umm al Jimal (or Jebel Druze) is the black basalt city 10 km from the Syrian border and 20 km east of Mafraq. The town is filled with the remains of many black basalt stone houses, churches, a Roman barrack and a fort complex. It is a day trip from Amman and you can take in Zarqaa and Mafraq on the way to Umm Al Jimal.

Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth at 394 m (1293 ft) below sea level. It is 65 km long and 6 to 18 km wide. It has no outlet, so the salt content (30%) makes it possible to float without any effort. It is an oft-frequented tourist destination for the sheer relaxation it offers. Luxury to budget accommodation is available and many stay overnight. Experience the all- body Dead Sea mudpack at the resort at Suweimeh. There are frequent buses from Al Quds street in Amman to Shuneh where mini buses leave for Suweimeh every half hour. Please carry identification papers – it is also a military checkpoint.

Pella, 5000 years old, is the largest and the most important architectural site in the region. Its visible structures date from the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, but it has remains belonging to Paleolithic, Neolithic, Calcolithic, Bronze, Iron, Persian and Hellenistic ages. It is a short drive from Amman.

Madaba, or Medeba of the Bible, is 30 km south of Amman. Though you can see the remains of the Roman roads and civic architecture, it is more famous for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, including the original map of the Holy Land made around 560 AD. Make it a day trip from Amman or disembark en route to Petra from Amman. 

Mt Nebu is supposed to be the tomb of Moses. 10 km southwest of Madaba, it has excellent mosaics to recommend it. Situated on the edge of the plateau, it offers a good view of the Dead Sea and the spires of the churches in Jerusalem on a clear day. Take a minibus from Madab, or simply drive down.