In the south of Jordan there is an amazing area, which is a vast sandy-rocky desert. It is almost untouched by civilization for four millennia. The local landscape is amazing, and it amazes with its unusual bright colors, unique rocks, wells and stone arches of bizarre shapes, magnificent sandy red canyons and many others. other
This place is the amazing desert of Wadi Rum (Moon Valley).
General information about Jordan
It is rich in the unique sights of Jordan. Not only the magnificent nature, but also the mass of historical architectural structures protected by UNESCO, can be seen in this country. The most popular excursions are a trip to the capital Amman and to amazing natural reserves. Below are the most famous sights:
- The most memorable and unusual is the very beautiful Wadi Rum desert. Where is she and what is special about her? This is presented in more detail in the article below.
- The visiting card of the state is the mysterious ancient city of Petra - the capital of the Nabatean kingdom, cut down more than 2000 years ago right in the rock. This is the holiest place in the west of the country for thousands of pilgrims, as well as the most famous tourist center.
- The Dead Sea is the main attraction of Jordan, which does not need a special introduction. This place differs not only in healing climatic conditions and unique biochemical composition of sea water, but also in waves. It is in this sea that the greatest river Jordan carries its waters.
- Hot waterfalls in Jordan - Hammamat Main. The nutrition of these sources is rain. Their peculiarity is that the water is heated to +65 Celsius by underground lava. Of course, it’s impossible to swim in them.
- The capital of Jordan, Alman, is a real attraction under the blue sky. It contains the most ancient architectural monuments, representing the historical heritage of the Romans.
Desert Description
Location of the Wadi Rum Desert - South of Jordan. From Amman (the capital of the state), riding a bus to her in time takes 4 hours. The distance from Aqaba is 60 kilometers. For the sake of one of the most beautiful places on planet Earth, such a trip is worth making.
The desert is also known under the name "Moon Valley". The peculiarity of the terrain is that the landscapes are very diverse: flat areas with small trees and shrubs smoothly pass into areas with mountains and deep canyons. The desert is also known for its rocky skyscrapers, which are chosen by climbers from around the world. The highest peak is Um al-Dami (1830 meters), and not all climbers, even the most professional ones, can overcome it.
This territory can be called the “Martian desert”. Wadi Rum, with its bizarre boulders, endless sand dunes and bright blue sky against their background, is more reminiscent of the uninhabited planet Mars. No wonder it is here that a huge number of fantastic American blockbusters are filmed.
sights
Here is what makes this area remarkable:
- The Wadi Rum Desert is one of the most important highlights of a trip to Jordan. In 2011, the reserve, as noted above, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The desert contains on its territory a lot of interesting and not quite studied.
- The desert attracts fans of extreme sports, they have something to do here. The bravest and the most courageous can try cliffclaming. This is a climb to a rock (altitude 1750 meters) at high speed. Such a trip guarantees the daredevil a huge dose of adrenaline.
- In some canyons you can find wells with ancient cave paintings, whose age is more than 4 thousand years. Particularly fascinating is a visit to the bridge, created by nature from stone, called Burda. It connects at an altitude of 35 meters the two sides of the deepest canyon.
- History buffs can truly enjoy visiting the Hazali Canyon with its preserved ancient cave paintings.
- The ancient city of Petra is a real miracle.
- You can feel like a true Bedouin by taking a camel ride and spending the night in one of the Bedouin tents in the desert. Camping sites made in an appropriate style are very popular among tourists.
There is another very surprising point. If you get up after sleep early in the morning (about 6 hours), you can watch the breathtaking dawn. The desert at this time appears in all its colors. It is at this moment that one can sense the fading of time. It is impossible to convey all this with words, it is necessary to feel it, having been here and seeing such a miracle with your own eyes.
It is worth seeing with your own eyes the mysterious beauty of the Wadi Rum desert. Excursions here are conducted on camels, jeeps and even balloon flights are organized over the desert . Exotic and seemingly impregnable desert is always full of tourists.
Ram Village
The closest settlement to this desert is the village of Ram, located at the foot of Mount Jebel Ram. The distance from the reserve to it is 6 kilometers.
In addition to campsites for tourists and residential buildings, there are shops and cafes. There is also a tourist center offering a sufficient range of services: camel riding, jeep riding, hot air ballooning, overnight in the desert, hiking to the highest point of Wadi Rum, etc.
About excursions
To make an excursion through the desert, it will take more than one hour. A quiet tour of all the sights can take two days. It is best to enjoy the magical beauty of the landscape without too much fuss and haste, and be sure to watch the charming sunset and the night sky.
During the day, beware of the scorching sun, and dress warmer at night (temperature drops to +4 ° C). It is also worth noting that in these places there are a lot of scorpions and snakes.
City of Petra
The Wadi Rum Desert is perhaps the most mysterious in the whole world. In the 19th century a historical city was found here, popularly called the Stone City.
Petra is a historical monument full of mysteries. The houses in it are located directly in the rocks, and historians still can not find an explanation of how this miracle was created. At first, the first explorers of Peter introduced herself as a pink mountain, in which subsequently there were many unsolved and curious things. Historical scholars believe that this city is part of the legacy of the Nabataean tribe who lived in these places more than two millennia ago.
The main mystery of the sights is the sudden disappearance of the entire population of the city many centuries ago. Since that time, no one has lived in it except nomads. It is known that Peter was created by manual labor.
There is a city in the Wadi Rum desert and it is as if hidden in the depths of a rocky area. It’s even hard to find.
About a journey to a mysterious city
The journey begins in the city from a very narrow Sik gorge, thanks to which in ancient times only a few soldiers could restrain and not let an entire army into the village. And there were a great many such attacks, and all of them were repelled.
In the rocks are hundreds of tombs, tombs, large festive halls and other living quarters. There is even the oldest amphitheater, designed for 4000 people.
There is an opinion among tourists that photographs and souvenirs of this mysterious attraction will give peace of mind and bring good luck, and the more time you spend here, the better. Here he is - a holy city located in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan.
City Discovery History
It was discovered in 1812 by Johann Ludwig (a Swiss explorer), who traveled the world under the guise of a Muslim merchant. Thus he made a secret, not quite legal journey.
The purpose of this trip was to learn oriental wisdom, but everything turned out to be much more interesting and better. Of course, he discovered the city with the help of local residents who brought him there when he called himself a pilgrim and said that he wanted to make a sacrifice.
Mausoleum of El - Khazne
Another main city symbol of Petra is the famous landmark of Jordan - the historic Mausoleum of El Khazneh.
At the very entrance to it on the facade is an urn. It is believed that precious stones and gold were previously stored in it. There is information that the Bedouins shot at her from rifles in order to find out about the presence of jewelry in her, but in the end they did not get enough sleep from there. And today, small holes are visible in the urn.
Some interesting facts
At the moment, the city of Petra, located in the vast territory of the Wadi Rum desert, is one of the wonders of the world - a unique architectural monument of antiquity. Although not everything has been excavated, and not all secrets have been revealed, but even that which is accessible to tourists is impressive and fascinating.
A lot of films have been shot here, the most famous of which is the painting "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." Some scenes from films were also shot here: “Red Planet”, “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Transformers”, etc.
Today, the city of Petra from the thickness of the rocks is visible only 15 percent of its entire area. And it is impossible to imagine how much more archaeologists need to work on excavations in order to unravel the secrets of the whole city. We can only say that now the territory of Petra is already so huge that it is impossible to get around it even in half a day.
How to get to the desert?
From the capital of Jordan, Amman to the desert, it is better to get along the highway, called the Royal Road. It takes about 4-5 hours to get to the destination, and the fare is not a small amount - about 80 dinars (1 dinar - 84.01 rubles). The journey from Aqaba takes less - 40-50 minutes (30 dinars).
You can take excursion tours. The services of tour operators for one-day and two-day excursions in Wadi Rum cost about 150 dinars. This includes food, travel and overnight.
While in Jordan, you should definitely devote some time to visiting this unique place. Yes, a very interesting and informative journey through the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan. Reviews of tourists who saw with their own eyes this unusual fairy-tale world are the most enthusiastic.
Conclusion
Jordan is an ancient cultural country where many biblical events took place. This state attracts tourists from all over the world with the benevolence of its inhabitants, and numerous attractions.
It is quite possible here and hitchhiking. Jordanians are very friendly, kind and kind. Many travelers roam the many attractions of this magnificent state.