In the south of Jordan there is an amazing area, which is a vast sandy and rocky desert. It has been practically 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. others
This place is the delightful desert of Wadi Rum (Valley of the Moon).
General information about Jordan
Jordan is rich in unique sights. Not only magnificent nature, but also a lot of historical architectural structures under the protection of UNESCO can be seen in this country. The most popular excursions are a trip to the capital Amman and amazing nature reserves. Below are the most famous sights:
- The most memorable and unusual is the very beautiful Wadi Rum desert. Where is it located and what is special about it? More information about this is provided below in the article.
- The calling card of the stateis the mysterious ancient city of Petra - the capital of the kingdom of Nabataea, 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 Jordan's main attraction that needs no introduction. This place is distinguished not only by its healing climatic conditions and the unique biochemical composition of sea water, but also by the waves. It is in this sea that the greatest Jordan River carries its waters.
- Hot Waterfalls of Jordan – Hammamat Main. These springs are fed by rain. Their peculiarity is that the water is heated up to +65 Celsius by underground lava. Naturally, it is 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, which are the historical heritage of the Romans.
Description of the desert
Location of the Wadi Rum desert - south of Jordan. From Amman (the capital of the state), the bus ride to it takes 4 hours in time. From Aqaba, the distance is 60 kilometers. For the sake of one of the most beautiful places on planet Earth, such a journey is worth making.
The desert is also known under the name "Moon Valley". The peculiarity of the area is that the landscapes here are very diverse: flat areas with small trees and shrubs smoothly turn into areas with mountains and deep canyons. The desert is also known for its skyscrapers-rocks, whichfavored by climbers from all over the world. The highest peak is Um ad-Dami (1830 meters), and not all climbers, even the most professional ones, can overcome it.
This territory could well be called a "Martian desert". Wadi Rum, with its bizarre boulders, endless sand dunes and a bright blue sky against their background, is more reminiscent of the uninhabited planet Mars. It is not for nothing that a huge number of fantastic American blockbusters are filmed here.
Attractions
Here's what is remarkable about this area:
- The desert of Wadi Rum is one of the 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 explored.
- The desert beckons and extreme sports lovers, they have something to do here. The most daring and courageous can try their hand at climbing. This is a climb to a rock (height 1750 meters) at high speed. Such a journey guarantees the daredevil a huge dose of adrenaline.
- In some canyons you can find wells with ancient rock carvings that are more than 4 thousand years old. Particularly exciting is the visit to the bridge, created by nature from stone, called Burda. It connects two sides of the deepest canyon at a height of 35 meters.
- History lovers can really enjoy visiting the Khazali canyon with preserved ancient rock paintings.
- Ancient cityPetra 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. Campsites made in the appropriate style are very popular among tourists.
There is another very amazing moment. If you get up early in the morning after sleep (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 you can feel the fading of time. All this cannot be expressed in words, you must definitely 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 are carried out here on camels, jeeps, and even flights over the desert in hot air balloons are organized. The exotic and seemingly impregnable desert is always full of tourists.
Ram Village
The nearest settlement to this desert is the village of Ram, located at the foot of Jebel Ram mountain. The distance from the reserve to it is 6 kilometers.
In addition to campsites for tourists and residential buildings, there are shops and cafes here. There is also a tourist center offering a sufficient range of services: camel trips, jeep rides, hot air ballooning, overnight in the desert, hiking to the highest point of Wadi Rum, etc.
About excursions
To make a tour of the desert will take more than one hour. Peace of mind for allattractions can take up to two days. It is best to enjoy the magical beauty of the scenery without much fuss and haste, and be sure to watch the enchanting sunset and night sky.
Daytime you should beware of the scorching sun, and dress warmer at night (temperature drops to +4 °C). It is also worth noting that there are a lot of scorpions and snakes in these places.
City of Petra
The Wadi Rum desert is perhaps the most mysterious in the whole world. In the 19th century, a historic city was found here, popularly called the Stone City.
Petra is a historical monument full of mysteries. The houses standing in it are located right in the rocks, and historians still cannot find an explanation for how this miracle was created. At first, Petra appeared to the first researchers as a pink mountain, in which later there were many unsolved and curious things. Historians believe that this city is a part of the heritage of the Nabatean tribe, who lived in these places more than two millennia ago.
The main mystery of the attraction is the sudden disappearance of the entire population of the city many centuries ago. Since that time, no one, except for nomads, lives in it. It is known that Petra was created by hand.
There is a city in the Wadi Rum desert and it seems to be hidden in the depths of a rocky area. It's even hard to find.
About traveling to the mysterious city
The trip to the city begins with a verythe narrow gorge of the Siq, thanks to which in ancient times only a few warriors could hold back and not let an entire army into the village. And there were a lot of such attacks here, and all of them were repelled.
Hundreds of tombs, tombs, large festive halls and other living quarters are located in the rocks. There is even an ancient amphitheater here, designed for 4000 people.
There is an opinion among tourists that photographs and souvenirs of this mysterious sight give peace of mind and bring good luck, and the more time you spend here, the better. This is how it is - a holy city located in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan.
City Discovery History
Discovered it in 1812 by Johann Ludwig (Swiss explorer), who traveled the world under the guise of a Muslim merchant. Thus he made a secret, not entirely legal journey.
The purpose of this trip was to learn oriental wisdom, but everything turned out much more interesting and better. Of course, he discovered the city with the help of locals who led him there when he called himself a pilgrim and said that he wanted to make a sacrifice.
El Khazne Mausoleum
Another main city symbol of Petra is the famous landmark of Jordan - the historical El-Khazneh Mausoleum.
At the very entrance to it, there is an urn on the facade. It is assumed that precious stones and gold were previously stored in it. There isinformation that the Bedouins shot at her with guns 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 on the vast territory of the Wadi Rum desert, is one of the wonders of the world - the most unique architectural monument of antiquity. Although not everything has been excavated yet, and not all secrets have been revealed, but even what is available to tourists is impressive and mesmerizing.
A lot of films were filmed here, the most famous of which is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Some scenes from films were filmed here: "Red Planet", "Lawrence of Arabia", "Transformers" and others.
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 entire city. One 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, the best way to get into the desert is along the highway called the Royal Road. The whole journey to the destination takes about 4-5 hours, 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 also use sightseeing tours. Servicestour operators for one- and two-day excursions to Wadi Rum cost about 150 dinars. This includes food, travel and accommodation.
When you are 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. The reviews of tourists who saw this unusual fairy-tale world with their own eyes 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 and the goodwill of its inhabitants, and numerous attractions.
It is quite possible here and hitchhiking. Jordanians are very friendly, accommodating and kind. Many travelers travel around the many attractions of this magnificent state.
