Jordan or, more precisely, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in the Middle East, it borders with Saudi Arabia, Israel, Syria and Iraq. The capital of the state is Amman. Most of the country is a desert plateau, about 90% of the entire territory. Only in the western part there are rivers and mountains.
The total population of the country is 5.9 million people, of which 95% are Arabs.
Country features
Today it is the most stable state in the entire Middle East. The crime rate is absolute zero, and all because theft threatens not only the death penalty, but also a "black mark" for the whole family. And families in the country are very large and can number up to 500 people.
Most of the Jordanian population are Islamists, here Christians are no more than 6%.
Life in the country is very expensive. To acquire at least 10 acres of land, you must have at least 10 million US dollars. But in the country, office life ends at 14:00.
sights
The country boasts natural and man-made beauties. There are desert castles, the Dead Sea and the unique city of Petra. But, perhaps, one of the places for which faithful tourists come is Mount Nevo, it is believed that the country is on holy ground. The mountain is located near Madaba and it is believed that the ashes of Moses are buried here, although the exact location is unknown.
From the top of the mountain offers a magnificent view of the Red Sea, the Jerusalem temples and the Jordan Valley. The height of Mount Sky in Jordan is 833 meters above sea level. By the way, this is what this peak is sometimes called.
The mountain is located 7 kilometers from the city of Madaba, in the east of the northern part of the Dead Sea.
Historical reference
According to the Bible, it was at the top of the mountain that God indicated to Moses where the Promised Land is. Mount Nebo appears not only in this part of the Bible, but also in other canonical texts.
Around the 4th century AD, a church was erected on top to perpetuate the memory of the place where Moses died. For several hundred years, the church was being completed, and by about the VIII century it became a lively monastery complex. The last mention of the monastery from 1217.
In the place where the shrine was, archaeologists managed to find a mosaic fragment of handmade. Such pieces of mosaics can be seen in other places of Mount Nevo.
According to unconfirmed reports, the ancient monastery is much more years, more than 1 thousand.
Snake cross
At the highest point of Mount Nebo in Jordan is the Staff of Moses. This is a double character. On the one hand, it symbolizes the copper serpent, which the prophet erected in the desert. According to legend, all people were immediately healed after a first look at the staff. On the other hand, this is the cross on which Christ was crucified.
The author of the contemporary creation is Gian Paolo Fantoni (Italy).
Other holy and commemorative signs of the mountain
The first monument that tourists see when they go outside the gates of Mount Nebo is the monument that perpetuated the arrival of Pope John Paul II. He came here in 2000.
Opposite the memorial is a memorial stone called the Franciscan Guardian of the Holy Land. In fact, it was the institute of the Order of the Franciscans back in 1933 that began the restoration of the mountain, while conducting research work.
Rising a little higher, you can see a huge large stone, which seems to be rolling from the mountain. It is believed that it was he who in ancient times was used to strengthen the gates of the monastery.
If you rise even higher, you will see a view of the Basilica of Moses. Even higher you can see the fenced tree that the Pope planted in 2000. Passing further, you get to the observation deck, where the so-called tablet of the prophet is located. It shows directions to the famous and holy places of the Promised Land.
By the way, the price of a mountain pass includes a visit to the church of St. Lot and Procopia (3 km from the mountain). The top is next door. This is the oldest shrine, however, from which there was only a mosaic floor, which is sheltered from atmospheric precipitation and the impact of a modern structure.
Mosaic city
Not far from the mountain of Moses Nevo is the mosaic Mecca of the state - the city of Madaba. This is a place where a huge number of religious and historical attractions. People come here to see the Church of St. George, its main highlight is the mosaic floor, which depicts a map of the Middle East (only a quarter of 94 sq. M has been preserved).
Most of the city is located under an archaeological park with many ancient ruins. It is in this city that the unique mosaic school is located.
Herod the Great Fortress
This place is not far from the place of death of Moses, Mount Nebo, also called Mukavir. The fortress has a very sad story. Once upon a time there was a fortified city here.
The first buildings appeared in the period from 103 to 76 BC. In the future, the city was periodically destroyed by Roman troops, and local residents rebuilt. Due to its proximity to healing springs, Jordan the Great did not want to transfer the fortress and constantly rebuilt it.
After the death of Herod, the fortress went to one of his sons - Antipas. He, in turn, became famous for having divorced and married a new woman, for which he was severely condemned by John the Baptist. Antipas did not tolerate such an attitude towards himself and imprisoned the prophet in the fortress. After some time during the holiday, the daughter of Antipa's second wife danced very beautifully, and the ruler promised to fulfill her any desire. Under pressure from the mother, the young girl asked for the head of John the Baptist, who was brought into the hall a few minutes later. Thus the prophet perished.
Today, only ruins remain from the fortress, but you can still see the refectory, the central corridor and other rooms.
From the ruins by a spiral staircase you can climb to the top, which offers an unforgettable view of the Dead Sea and the surrounding area.
Ascension Hill of the Prophet Elijah
Not far from Mount Moses in Jordan is an equally remarkable hill. In this place, in biblical times, the prophet John the Baptist led his sermons. This man led an almost ascetic life in the desert. And according to legend, God took a living prophet to heaven.
A church was once erected in a holy place, of which only ruins remained. On the hill there is also a memorial arch in memory of the arrival of the Pope (2000).
Wadi harrar
For the past 10 years, photos of Nevo Mountain and the eastern bank of the Jordan River have been found together in travel catalogs and websites. This is due to the fact that modern archaeologists suggest that Jesus was not baptized on the west bank of the river, but on the east, which belongs not to Israel, but to Jordan. Naturally, the country's authorities only contributed to research, because this is a real "gold mine".
Wadi Harrar cultivated very quickly to make it convenient for tourists. They invited the Pope, but the Vatican did not officially recognize the Jordanian coast as the place of baptism of the son of God, although it was included in the list of places for pilgrimage.
Not an Orthodox attraction
On the border between Jordan and Israel, near Mount Nevo there is a monument of modern history - the King Hussein Bridge.
It was first built in 1918, and at the place of the ancient crossing - the Ottoman bridge from 1885. And even the old foundation was used. After some time, the construction of a new bridge began, which ended in 1930. This crossing was much larger than the old bridge.
As part of the fight against the British Mandate, the crossing was destroyed in 1946 (Operation Palmach). This happened on the night of June 16, which was called Bridge Night. In the same year, partial restoration work was carried out.
During the Six Day War, the bridge was seriously damaged again, and was partially repaired.
Already in the 90s, when the countries of Israel and Jordan were able to conclude the long-awaited truce, they built a modern bridge, which serves to this day. Now the transition is used by Palestinians and tourists who want to immediately embrace the beauty and relaxation in Jordan and Israel.
Not a popular place, but interesting
The archaeological area of Um Er Rasas is not a very popular tourist destination. This is due primarily to a little knowledge, but from this the attraction does not become less interesting. Due to the lack of finances, excavations have not been carried out here in recent years, and Um Er Rasas is rarely included in excursion programs.
In the process of previous research, several churches and a military camp were found. It is assumed that one of the church is named after St. Stephen and was built in 785. It was in the place where the church used to be that the mosaic was very well preserved.