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AMMAN
BEGIN YOUR STAY in the capital, Amman-saft, friendly, and up-to-date. No more than five hours' drive from anywhere in the country, it is a convenient place to base your tour.
Gleaming white buildings in contemporary styles coexist with turn-of-the - century villas, and trendy boutiques compete with richly colorful bazaars.
A varied cuisine a waits you, as much as the savoury sweets and mezzeh oftraditional Arabic restaurants. Add to this energetic mix the mystique of old
Amman - the Citadel and its defensive walls, the magnify-cent Roman Theatre - and you have a tourist destination of unmatched appeal.
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MADABA
THE ANCIENT King' Highway in use for 3,000 years, is an ideal route for your journey south. A favorite stop is
Madaba, City of Mosaics, to view its wonderfully vivid map of the sixth-century A.D. Holy Land. Nearby is the revered Mount Nebo, where Moses climbed to survey the Promised Land. Visit the site of
Machaerus, stronghold of Herod Antipas, where Salom danced for the head of John the Baptist.
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KARAK
& SHOBAK
Along the King's Highway about 125 kilometers south of Amman is Karak Fortress, built by the Crusaders at the edge of a hill 1,021 meters above sea level. South of Karak is the Crusader fortress of
Shobak. Both were rebuilt and used during the Ayyubid and Mamluke eras, after the Crusaders were driven out of Jordan.
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THE
DEAD SEA
Located 55 kilometers from Amman, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, at over 400 meters below sea level. As its name implies, the Dead Sea harbors no living organisms due to its high concentration of salts and minerals, which are famous for their curative powers and have been used since the days of Herod the Great.
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They are now marketed worldwide as bath salts and cosmetic products. The Dead Sea houses a hotel complex that includes a therapeutic clinic, bathing facilities, a sports complex and a restaurant. Several new hotels and resorts are under construction.
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JORDAN VALLEY
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LEAVING AMMAN, travel first through the Jordan Valley, resonant with historic and religious meaning The valley is named for the River Jordan, where Jesus was baptized and the Prophet Mohammed crossed to Jerusalem, where the Dome of the Rock now stands. In biblical times, the valley was one of the most fertile places in the Middle East, and some of the world's oldest civilizations sprang from this soil.
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PETRA
A two and a half hour drive south from Amman on the King's Highway leads to Wadi Musa and Petra. The visitor enters Petra through a 1.2 kilometer-long narrow defile through the mountains which opens up to a spectacular view of the Treasury, or Khazneh in Arabic. Petra, the Nabatean Kingdom's capital, is over 2,000 years old and contains over 800 monuments, some built but most carved out of the natural rock. They include tombs, temples, houses, theatres and elaborate water systems. The geological formation of rose-red rocks makes the view of Petra at sunrise or sunset a spectacular sight. Some of Petra's remains date back to the Stone Age and the Biblical period.
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The mesmerizing rose-red city of Petra is a must for any visitor to Jordan. This ancient Nabatean city is so rich in history that everyday something new is being discovered.
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JERASH
& the Cities of the Decapolis
Traveling an hour north of Amman, you will find yourself in one of the few remaining Greco-Roman outposts in the world. Jerash is probably the best preserved city of the Decapolis, ("ten cities" in Greek). The Decapolis was a loose association of ten Greco-Roman cities in north Jordan, Syria and Palestine. Every summer, for two weeks, Jerash comes to life during the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts. Jordanian and international troupes perform music, dance, poetry and drama, and craft displays of local artists and artisans add color to the festival. From April to October, Jerash presents a dramatic sound and light show every evening.
Other Decapolis cities in Jordan include: Pella, an important site with remains from several ancient periods, including a theatre, churches, a mosque, city walls, and domestic quarters. Umm Qais, known in Roman times as Gadara, was built of contrasting black basalt and white limestone. Umm Qais is dramatically located overlooking the North Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee. East of the Decapolis region is Umm el-Jimal, a sprawling provincial city of black basalt stone which contains remains of Roman and Byzantine structures with some Nabatean influences.
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WADI RUM
SHOULD YOU tire at last of history's treasures, Jordan's desert vistas and marine life will help you to fill the idle hours. Trek or climb in Wadi Rum, a mauve-hued valley of mesmerizing beauty where Lawrence of Arabia once rode.
Hot-air ballooning is possible on special request, or spend a night under the stars in a Bedouin tent.
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DESERT CASTLES
DO NOT fail to stop at Jordan's desert castles-Amra, Azraq, Hallabat,
Kharanah, and Mushatta.
Widely varied in function, architectural style, and creative embellishment, each one is will worth a visit.
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AQABA
SOUTH OF RUM, leave the desert behind for the indigo-colored waters of the Red Sea. In the resort town of
Aqaba, stroll the tranquil beaches, or swim out a short distance to the coral reefs, adorned with untold species of plants and fish. Relax and remember all that you have seen: the welcoming and gracious Jordanian people, and the heritage and beauty of their land.
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