Attractions of Jordan

Um er-Rasas was a Roman military camp that grew to become a town from the 5th century AD onwards. The site contains remains from the Roman, Byzantine and early Muslim periods, including 16 churches and 2 stylites - columns upon which ascetic monks spent time in isolation. The mosaic floor of the Church of St. Stephen contains a representation of the towns of Palestine, Jordan and Egypt.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)

The desert east of Amman contains numerous historic castles, palaces and other structures. Quseir Amra was built in the early 8th century for use as a garrison and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. Although small, this structure is very well preserved and noted for its exceptional reception hall, three-roomed hamman or steam bath and extensive murals on the interior wall surfaces and depicting hunting, hamman scenes, historical figures, a zodiac and the mythical representations of history, philosophy and poetry. The castle at Azraq dates back to Roman times and was used by Lawrence of Arabia as his desert headquarters during the Arab Revolt. Qasr al-Hallabat was originally Roman but was rebuilt during the Umayyad period and is renowned for its elaborately decorated mosaics, carved stucco, and fresco paintings.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Quseir Amra

Petra

Petra, the Rose-Red City, is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and one of the world's most famous and spectacular historical sites. Petra was founded by the Nabataean Arab tribe in the 6th century BC and taxes imposed on trading caravans allowed them to build their rock-carved city surrounded by mountains. Construction continued after the Romans annexed the Nabataean Kingdom in AD 106 and, after it was conquered and occupied by Muslim Arabs and Crusaders, it was abandoned and became a mystical 'lost city'. Its exact location was unknown in the west until the Swiss explorer J.L. Burckhardt stumbled upon it in 1812. Today visitors followed the same path used by Burckhardt, through a kilometre long chasm known as the siq, the only entrance to the city. At the end of the siq lies the stunning sight of the Treasury, or Khazneh, a 40 metre tall facade carved into the mountain rock face. Inside the Hellenistic columns is a large plain square room, carved out of rock. The High Places are the mountain-top altars which offer spectacular views over Wadi Araba and the Negev Desert. Beyond the centre of Petra lies El Deir, the Monastery, with another superb facade built into the mountain rock. Other highlights include the three Royal Tombs, carved into the King's Wall, the Palace of the Pharaoh's Daughter and the Roman era theatre, with 8,000 seats carved from rock.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Petra

Wadi Rum

A trip to Wadi Rum is one of the quintessential travel experiences in Jordan. This is an area of stunning desert scenery with sand dunes mixing with dramatic sandstone mountains, narrow gorges, natural arches, towering cliffs, ramps, massive landslides and caverns. Travelling with Bedouin guides who still forge a nomadic existence in the area, camping overnight in Wadi Rum is essential - to see the effect of sunset on the colours of the sandstone rocks and sleep out under the clear, star-filled sky. It was here that Lawrence of Arabia assembled the Arab tribes for the attack on Aqaba in the First World War and it also provided the location for the film. A camel trek through the wadi will transport you back to the time of Lawrence and complete the desert experience. The site also includes some 25,000 rock carvings and 20,000 inscriptions which testify to 12,000 years of human occupation.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Wadi Rum Protected Area