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Street of Facades
From the Treasury, the passage broadens into what is commonly referred to as the Outer Siq. Riddling the walls of the Outer Siq are over 40 tombs and houses built by the Nabataeans in a ‘crow step’ style reminiscent of Assyrian architecture. Colloquially known as the Street of Faca
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Church of St Stephen
The ruined Church of St Stephen, protected by an ugly hangar, is one of four churches in the original village of Umm ar-Rasas. Inside, the magnificent mosaics date back to about AD 785. If you have mosaic fatigue after Madaba and Mt Nebo, try to muster up one last flurry of enthusi
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Church of SS Lot & Procopius
Originally built in AD 557, this church houses a remarkable mosaic with scenes of daily life such as agriculture, fishing and wine-making (in particular the cutting and carrying of grapes). The mosaics have recently been painstakingly restored after damage by rainwater. Look for th
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Wadi Rum Protected Area
Admission to Wadi Rum Protected Area is controlled and all vehicles, camels and guides must be arranged either through or with the approval of the visitor centre. Essential items to bring include a hat, preferably with a brim to keep the sun off your neck and face, sunscreen, sturd
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Archaeological Park II (Burnt Palace)
Walkways lead around the ruins of this late-6th-century luxury private mansion, destroyed by fire and earthquake around AD 749. From this vantage point, there’s a good view of assorted mosaics, the best of which are the hunting sequences in the east wing, and the lion attacking a b
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South Gate
Two hundred metres north of the Hippodrome in Jerash is the South Gate, which was most likely constructed in AD 130 and originally served as one of four entrances along the city walls. Along the way you can see how the Roman city, then as now, spilt over both sides of Wadi Jerash,
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Urn Tomb
The most distinctive of the Royal Tombs is the Urn Tomb, recognisable by the enormous urn on top of the pediment. It was built in about AD 70 for King Malichos II (AD 40–70) or Aretas IV (8 BC–AD 40). The naturally patterned interior of the Urn Tomb measures a vast 18m by 20m. Part
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Nymphaeum
Built in AD 191, this elaborate public fountain was once a large, two-storey complex with water features, mosaics, stone carvings and possibly a 600-sq-metre swimming pool – all dedicated to the nymphs. Excavations started in earnest in 1993, and restoration will continue for many
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Moses Spring
This spring is one of two places where the prophet is believed to have obtained water by striking a rock. Six giant eucalyptus trees mark the spot and there’s an occasional waterfall over the lip of the rocks if it’s been raining, but there’s little to see except the low-lying ruin
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Hammam as
Part of the neighbouring fort complex in Hallabat, this hammam (bathhouse) has been extensively restored, revealing the underfloor piping system that was used to heat the hot, cold and tepid bathing rooms. The hammam is located along the main road to Hallabat village, about 3km eas
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Pella
In the midst of the Jordan Valley are the ruins of the ancient city of Pella (Taqabat Fahl), one of the 10 cities of the fabled Roman Decapolis. Although not as spectacular as Jerash, Pella is far more important to archaeologists as it reveals evidence of 6000 years of continuous s
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Qasr Aseikhin
This small Roman fort, built from basalt in the 3rd century over the ruins of a 1st-century Nabataean building, is an hour’s detour from Safawi. The small structure is worth a visit for the commanding view of the plains, framed by a basaltic Roman arch. The sealed access road to th
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Royal Botanic Garden
Several years in the making, with an anticipated soft opening in 2015, the new Royal Botanic Garden aims to showcase Jordans surprisingly varied flora and highlight best practices in habitat conservation. The site, which overlooks the King Talal Dam, spreads over 180 hectares, with
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Temple of Zeus
The former temple of Zeus.
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Qasr ‘Uweinid
You don’t come to a fort like this to look at the pile of old stones, strewn across the wadi bottom – even though some of those stones have evocative inscriptions and even though you may well be one of only a handful of people to have stepped over the threshold in centuries. No, yo
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North Theatre
Just downhill from the Temple of Artemis at Jerash is the beautiful little North Theatre. Built in about AD 165 and enlarged in 235, it was most likely used for government meetings rather than artistic performances. Originally it had 14 rows of seats with two vaulted passageways le
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Obelisk Tomb & Bab as
Near the entrance, along the path to the left, is a tomb with four pyramidal obelisks, built as funerary symbols by the Nabataeans in the 1st century BC. The four obelisks, together with the eroded human figure in the centre, probably represent the five people buried in the tomb. T
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King Abdullah Mosque
Completed in 1989 as a memorial by the late King Hussein to his grandfather, this blue-domed landmark can house up to 7000 worshippers, with a further 3000 in the courtyard. There is also a small women’s section for 500 worshippers, and a much smaller royal enclosure. The cavernous
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Abila
Little remains of this once-great city; the earthquake of AD 747 did a pretty thorough job of turning Abila into a rock-strewn field. To date, much of Abila remains largely unexcavated and the site certainly isn’t set up for visitors. Of course, you don’t need a guide to find the R
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Moses Memorial Church
On top of Mt Nebo, this modest church, or more accurately basilica, was built around 4th-century foundations in AD 597 and has just undergone a major reconstruction project. It houses important mosaics (from around AD 530), which rank as some of the best in Jordan. The masterpiece
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