Discover Jordan

The immortal words of Dean Burgen “… match me such a marvel, save in Eastern clime; A rose-red city, half as old as time” have entered into the English language and give just a brief hint of the marvel that is revealed today in the bleak desert landscape. Petra is believed to have been firrst established sometime around the 6th century BC by nomadic Nabataean Arabs who settled in the area and laid the foundations of a commercial empire that extended into Syria and was controlled by them until around 100AD when the Romans took over. Still inhabited during the Byzantine period when the former Roman Empire moved its focus east to Constantinople it declined in importance thereafter as a result of the changes in trading routes. The Crusaders in turn left their mark with a fort, constructed in the 12th century, but later withdrew leaving Petra to its inhabitants and effectively lost to the world at large. An excellent introduction to Jordan’s ancient cultures is provided by the Archaeological Museum in Amman whose collections include Nabataean relics and the Dead Sea scrolls. On the King’s Highway lies the 12th-century Crusader castle of Kerak and Madaba ‘City of Mosaics’, the greatest of whose Byzantine treasures, a mosaic map of ancient Palestine (6c.AD), is to be found in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. Mount Nebo is one of the most revered holy sites in Jordan and believed to be the burial site of Moses (12c.BC) and the point from where he viewed the ‘Promised Land’.

Known as ‘Pompeii of the East’, Jerash is the best-preserved Roman city of the Decapolis, a confederation or grouping of ten cities mentioned in the New Testament. Dating from the first century it reveals imposing triumphal arches, temples, churches, theatres, the oval shaped forum and market place.

The Desert Castles were built around 660-750 AD as retreats for the Omayyad princes who, being of nomadic origins grew weary of the rigours and congested atmosphere of city life. Qasr el- Kharaneh with its imposing walls was probably used as a caravanserai being on ancient trade routes. By contrast the charming Qasr Amra was originally built as a bath-house and its outstanding interior fresco paintings have prompted a UNESCO World Heritage listing. Qasr el-Azraq, a Roman military outpost (‘the blue fort on its rock’) was used by T. E. Lawrence as his headquarters during the Great Arab Revolt against the Turks during the First World War. The Dead Sea is the lowest place on the earth’s surface where flotation is easy and the mud and minerals reputedly have a beneficial effect.

Exclusive VJV Event - Petra by Night
This exclusive optional arrangement reveals Petra by candlelight. Enjoy Bedouin stories and music at the Treasury, then walk through the site (about 2 miles over sometimes uneven ground) for dinner at Petra’s only restaurant. Return to the hotel by bus. Click here for more exclusive arrangements by VJV.