-
Hadrian’s Arch
There’s no better way of gaining a sense of the pomp and splendour of Rome than walking through the triumphal, 13m-tall Hadrian’s Arch at the entrance to Jerash, built to honour the visiting emperor. From here you can see a honey-coloured assortment of columns and walls, some delic
-
Museum of Archaeology
Highlights of this small museum include models of the Temple of Artemis and Nymphaeum at Jerash, a copy of the Mesha Stele, and finds from Bronze Age Jericho and the 6th-century BC Ammonite fort at Tell al-Mazar. Don’t miss the unmarked artefacts lying around outside the building,
-
Temple of Winged Lions
The recently excavated Temple of the Winged Lions, built around AD 27, is named after the carved lions that once topped the capitals of each of the columns. The temple was probably dedicated to the fertility goddess, Atargatis, the partner of the male god Dushara. Fragments of deco
-
Petra Church
An awning covers the remains of Petra Church (also known as the Byzantine Church). Inside the church are some exquisite Byzantine floor mosaics , some of the best in the region. The mosaics originally continued up the walls. A helpful map and explanations in English are also locate
-
Dana Museum
Spare 20 minutes for the RSCNs wonderful little museum, next to the Dana Guesthouse. It illustrates the various wildlife at 1500m on the King’s Highway, at 1100m at Dana Village and 50m below sea level in Wadi Araba. It also explains the peculiar challenges to the ecosystem in a re
-
Nabataean Temple
On a small hill in Rum village, about 400m behind the Rest House (follow the telephone poles), are the limited ruins of a 2000-year-old temple, dedicated to the deity Lat. Inside the Rest House an information board describes the temple and its excavation. The ruins are important be
-
Vaulted Gallery
The vaulted passageway, under the courtyard of the Temple of Zeus, is a good starting point in Jerashs ancient city. When your eyes become accustomed to the gloom, you’ll see a superb display of columns, pediments and masonry carved with grapes, pomegranates and acanthus leaves. Th
-
Ain Abu Aineh
Often mistaken for Lawrence’s Spring, the ‘Father of Aineh Spring’ is piped down the mountain into a large tank for Bedouin sheep, goats and camels. Look out for a large boulder near the tank: it is covered with Thamudic inscriptions, proving the spring has been used for a similar
-
Salt Archaeological Museum
This delightful little museum is located in a well-restored Ottoman-era building and covers the local history of the Jordan Valley area with excellent information boards in English. The downstairs rooms focus on glass and pottery (some dating back 5000 years), spanning the Roman, B
-
Aqaba Fort
The fort was built between 1510 and 1517, as attested by the Arabic inscriptions inside the monumental gateway, and was used as a khan (travellers’ inn) for pilgrims on their way to Mecca. The Ottomans occupied the castle until WWI when, in 1917, the fortress was substantially dest
-
South Decumanus
The south decumanus at Jerash once served as the Roman towns main east–west axis. At the eastern end is a modern mosque , a fitting reminder of how Jordan has embraced many different religions over the years and continues to tolerate different forms of worship to this day. But tol
-
North Gate
Built in about AD 115, the North Gate forms an impressive full stop at the northern limit of the Jerash ruins. Commissioned by Claudius Severus, who built the road to Pella, it still makes a fine, if somewhat neglected, frame for the cardo maximus which stretches in all its glory a
-
Djinn Blocks
Just past the entrance, look out for three enormous, squat monuments, known as Djinn Blocks or God Blocks. Standing guard beside the path, they take their name from the Arabic word for spirit, the source of the English word genie . Other than the fact they were built by Nabataeans
-
Lot’s Cave
Lot’s Cave, just past the Lisan Peninsula, is where he and his daughters apparently lived after fleeing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
The cave, a 10-minute climb up a steep flight of steps, is surrounded by the ruins of a small Byzantine church (5th to 8th centuries), a r
-
La Storia Tourism Complex
This new ethnographic diorama, 2km before Mt Nebo on the Nebo–Madaba road, features an exhibition of tableaux billed as depictions of the major religious, historical and cultural highlights in the heritage of Jordan. Noahs Ark, complete with stuffed badger and ducks, marks the entr
-
Madaba Museum
Housed in several old Madaba residences, highlights of this museum include a 6th-century mosaic depicting a naked satyr, a saucy (and partially damaged) mosaic of Ariadne dancing with cymbals on her hands and feet, and a mosaic in the courtyard depicting two rams tied to a tree – a
-
Great Temple
A major Nabataean temple of the 1st century BC, this structure was badly damaged by an earthquake not long after it was built, but it remained in use (albeit in different forms) until the late Byzantine period. A theatron (miniature theatre) stands in the centre. The temple was onc
-
Western Baths
On the eastern side of the cardo maximus at Jerash lie the earthquake-stricken remains of the Western Baths – once an impressive complex of hot- (calidarium ), warm- (tepidarium ) and cold-water (frigidarium ) baths. In Roman times, public bathing fulfilled the role of a social clu
-
Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
This small but impressive gallery is a wonderful place to gain an appreciation of contemporary Jordanian painting, sculpture and pottery. Renovated in 2005, the attractive space highlights contemporary art from around the Middle East and the greater Muslim world. Temporary exhibiti
-
Visitors Centre
This helpful interpretative centre makes a good starting point for visiting the highlights of Madaba. It is worth a visit in its own right as it is housed in a beautifully restored traditional house from the late 19th century, belonging to the al-Batjali family. Two of the rooms co
Total
307 -travel
FirstPage PreviousPage NextPage LastPage CurrentPage:
12/16 20-travel/Page Goto:
