JORDAN  >  MIDDLE EAST  >  INDEX


Vacations Jordan.

Governorates in Jordan : Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa, Irbid, Ma'an 

Jordan borders Syria to the north, Iraq to the north-east, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, and Israel and West Bank to the west. It shares with Israel the coastlines of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea.

Capital City of Jordan: Amman


car hire, hotels, travel agencies, travel guides, transportation / traveling to jordan 

links


Car Rental Jordan

 Avis
World's second largest general-use car rental business, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services.
 Budget Rent A Car
 Hertz

Hotels in Jordan

 All-hotels.com 
 Expedia.com
 Jordan Hotel Association

More Hotels? See the page Hotels

National Parks

 Baptism Archaeological Park
The park on the east bank of the Jordan River, is one of the most significant archaeological and religious discoveries of the past century, it is where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist who lived and preached in the early 1st Century AD.
The Park includes the area of the baptism of Jesus Christ, and the long-lost settlement of the Bethany beyond the Jordan.

Travel Agents / Tour Operators

 Ancient World Travel & Tours - Syria, Lebanon & Jordan
Ancient World Travel & Tourism is proud to introduce itself as a companion to you in Syria, putting at your disposal it's well trained staff, professional management, close relations with Hotels management, transportation companies and tour operators all over Jordan, Lebanon and the surrounding countries.



Travel Guides Jordan / Related Books

 Amazon.com - Books about Jordan

Lonely Planet Jordan
By Hugh Finlay, Anthony Ham (Editor), Paul Greenway [ Editor ]
This guide to Jordan features: the low-down on outdoor activities, including swimming in the Dead Sea; expanded coverage of major sights; coverage of archaeological sights; an Arabic language chapter; and advice on the best places to stay and eat on any budget.
Paperback: 304 pages; Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 6 edition (April 2006); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-1740597890
The Rough Guide to Jordan - by Matthew Teller (Author)
Product Description : The Rough Guide to Jordan is the essential guide to the Middle East's most fascinating destination. The guide opens with a 24-page, full-colour section showcasing Jordan's highlights, from the wilderness of Wadi Run and the magic of Petra to the new developments in Aqaba and Amman's sophisticated dining scene. The main heart of the guide includes detailed reviews on all the best hotels, cafés and restaurants, whether you're travelling on a budget or travelling in style. There is plenty of practical tips for adventure activities, including diving, camping, camel treks and balloon trips. The guide also takes a thorough look at Jordan's colourful background with unique features on literature, art and women in Jordanian society. There are also detailed maps and plans for all regions.
Paperback: 528 pages; Publisher: Rough Guides; 3 edition (January 2, 2006); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-1843534587
Petra : Rose Red City  - Christian Auge, Jean-Marie Dentzer
Deep in the Jordanian desert lies the hidden rose red city of Petra, carved directly out of the solid rock that rises in sharp ridges above the sands. Recent excavations provide new information about this mysterious, beautiful and dramatic site.
Paperback: 128 pages; Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd (May 2000); ISBN-13: 978-0500300992
Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans - Jane Taylor
The Nabataean Arabs were one of the most remarkable peoples of the Ancient World but are today known only for their hauntingly beautiful rock-carved capital - Petra. Though seen most clearly at Petra, vivid traces of their creativity and control also appear in the Hejaz region of Arabia, among the wild rock formations of Wadi Rum, along trade and pilgrimage routes in the Sinai, and in towns and temples throughout Jordan and into Syria. This illustrated book recounts the story of a lost civilization - the development of their multifaceted culture, their relations with their neighbours and the demise of their kings and kingdom.
Paperback: 224 pages; Publisher: Harvard University Press (April 30, 2005); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978 -0674017559
Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum, Jordan - Tony Howard
Wadi Rum is tucked away in the south of Jordan, close to the Red Sea port of Aqaba, remote and splendid in both landscape and culture, yet only a five-hour flight and a short onward journey from Europe. It was brought to the world's attention by Lawrence of Arabia, and the subsequent film of that name was responsible for the author's visit with a team of climbing friends in 1984. Thus began the exploration of Wadi Rum for rock climbing and trekking, with the approval and encouragement of the local Bedouin who have lived and climbed in this desert and mountain region for generations...
... It is a remote and spectacular landscape, offering unlimited rock for the pioneer, as well as many superb existing routes of all grades of difficulty, whilst the desert and numerous "siqs" or canyons offer a wilderness experience not to be found anywhere else in the world...
Paperback: 260 pages; Publisher: Cicerone Press; 3Rev Ed edition (September 2001); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-1852842543
 Travelling through the Orient - Gustave Flaubert
The Innocents Abroad: or, The New Pilgrims' Progress 
by Mark Twain (Author), Jane Jacobs (Introduction)
Product Description : The Innocents Abroad is one of the most prominent and influential travel books ever written about Europe and the Holy Land. In it, the collision of the American "New Barbarians" and the European "Old World" provides much comic fodder for Mark Twain—and a remarkably perceptive lens on the human condition. Gleefully skewering the ethos of American tourism in Europe, Twain's lively satire ultimately reveals just what it is that defines cultural identity. As Twain himself points out, "Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." And Jane Jacobs observes in her Introduction, "If the reader is American, he may also find himself on a tour of his own psyche."
Paperback: 560 pages; Publisher: Modern Library; Modern Lib edition (February 11, 2003); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-0812967050

Transportation / How to get to Jordan

 Queen Alia Airport [ 40 km south of Amman ]
 Jordan Civil Aviation Authorities
Info about airports in Jordan [ King Hussein, Queen Alia, Marka and Aqaba ]

 Emirates US  -  Flight tickets Amman

 Airline Tickets / Bargain Flights to Jordan

 Royal Jordanian Airlines

Daily buses, taxis and "service" cabs link Jordan with Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel and the West Bank and Gaza.
Government and private buses operate within and between major cities

A twice daily passenger and car ferry service links Jordan's port of Aqaba with the Red Sea port of Nuweibe' in Egypt

 Online Map of Jordan [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection ]


Links 

 Travel Insurance 

 Jordan Tourism Board North America

 Ministerie van Toerisme en Antiquiteiten in Jordan
Tourism Information Guide, Tourism Sites [ Natural Sites, Medical Sites, Religious Sites ], Jordan Maps [Tourism Map, Holy Sites, Amman Map, Aqaba Map, Natural Map, Water Map [, The Baptism Site, Downloads [ Maps, Hotel Specifications, - Photogallery ], News and Events, Tourism Services Providers Guide [ Air Lines, Car Rental, Hotels and Travel Agencies ], Related Links, Halla Line.

 Amman - Capital City of Jordan - former Philadelphia in the Roman Empire
The Citadel, a hill with the ruins of the Temple of Hercules crowns the city, located next to it is the museum, rich with artifacts dating back to the earliest settlement in the region, at the foot of the Citadel is the 5,000 seat Roman theater.
Amman is a busy commercial and administrative center with many international hotels, restaurants, entertainment facilities as well as modern facilities for sporting events, conventions and conferences. It is a city of contrasts, a mixture of the ancient and the modern.

 Al Balqa' Muhafazah
 Al Karak
 Al Mafraq
 Amman
 At Tafilah
 Az Zarqa'
 Irbid
 Ma'an

 Ajlun
A short journey west of Jerash , here is Qala'at Ar Rabad , a remarkable 12th Century A.D. castle on an awesome mountain top,. It was build in 1184 by Izzedine Usama, one of the generals of the Arab leader Salah ed Din (Saladin).
 Aqaba
Aqaba is warm, sunny, it is where the fantasy, sun and sea meet ringed by mountains that change in color as the sun shines. Aqaba boasts some of the world's best scuba diving by day or night. The Royal Diving Center , for water sports their offers, snorkeling, water skiing, wind surfing, fishing and a variety of other water sports to the enthusiasts.
Of special interest among the ancient and medieval archaeological sites are the early Islamic city called Ayla, Aqaba fort (16th Century), and a very fine museum, the original home of Sheriff Hussien bin Ali, great great grandfather of King Abdullah 2.
 Dead Sea
The lowest spot on earth, some 400 meters below sea level, 55 kilometer drive from Amman.
It is an ideal place for travelers in search of relaxation and therapy, it is also a magically serene and quiet place. A few international hotels are built on its shores offering unique Spas renowned worldwide for treatment of skin ailments.
 Desert Castles
The ancient hunting lodges of Qasr Amra, Azraq, Hallabat, shobak, Kharanah, and Mushatta are unique historic ruins featuring castles, forts, towers, baths, farming estates, caravan inns and fortifications.
 Jerash - City of Columns
Only a 25 minutes drive north of Amman, is the Greco Roman City of Jerash (Gerasa in ancient times), also known as the Pompeii of the East.
Jerash is considered the best preserved and most complete city of the Decapolis, a confederation of ten Roman cities dating from the 1st Century B.C.
Today's visitors may wander among the original temples, theaters, plazas, baths and colonnaded streets, all enclosed within the remaining city walls.
Nightly sound and light shows through the summer months, and the annual "Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts" is held each July, bringing the ancient community alive for today's visitor.
 Kerak
Kerak is distinguished by its fine crusader castle built in the 12th century on the remains of earlier citadels.
 Madaba - town of mosaics
Only 30 kilometers south of Amman. Best known for its Byzantine wonderful mosaic churches, the mosaic map of Palestine, located in the Saint-George church that depicts all of Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Sinai and the delta of the Nile. In addition, there are other mosaic floors preserved throughout the town, as well as a local museum.
 Petra
Petra was first established sometime around the 6th century BC, by the Nabataean Arabs, a nomadic tribe who settled in the area and laid the foundations of a commercial empire that extended into Syria. Despite successive attempts by the Seleucid king Antigonus, the Roman emperor Pompey and Herod the Great to bring Petra under the control of their respective empires, Petra remained largely in Nabataean hands until around 100AD, when the Romans took over. It was still inhabited during the Byzantine period, when the former Roman empire moved its focus east to Constantinople, but declined in importance thereafter. The Crusaders constructed a fort there in the 12th century, but soon withdrew, leaving Petra to the local people until the early 19th century, when it was visited by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
 Süd Shuneh
 Um Qais
Known in antiquity as Gadara, overlooking the northern Jordan Valley, the Sea of Galilee [ Lake Tiberias ], the Yarmouk River and the Golan Heights.
 Wadi Mousa
 Wadi Araba
In de kleurige, in kalksteen en zandsteen uitgesleten kloven van de Wadi Araba vindt u Petra, de koningsstad van de Nabataeers. Zonsondergangen boven Petra zijn bijzonder fascinerend [ zie ook Wadi Rum ].
 Wadi Rum - Moon Valley
Trek or climb a mauve hued valley of mesmerizing beauty, try hot air ballooning over the hills and canyons, trek deep into the enchanting landscape in four wheel drive vehicles, or join two or three day desert safaris on camel back, Feel the romance of the Arabian desert in the spring time ... or any time, and spend a night under the stars in a Bedouin tent, at Wadi Rum in Jordan.
Wadi Rum resembles a moon scope offering ancient valleys and towering weathered Sandstone Mountains rising out of white and pink colored sands

 Darat al Funun - Khalid Shoman Foundation
With its Arts, Architecture, Archaeology, Darat al Funun speaks of an enduring ancient legacy of urbanism, architecture and cultural identity that is now being enriched by a modern flowering of the visual arts.
 Dead See Marathon - Ultra-marathon - extreme sports
 Jordan River Foundation
The Jordan River Foundation's ultimate vision is to empower society, especially women and children, and in turn improve the quality of life to secure a better future for all Jordanians.
 King Abdullah II - royal family Jordan
 King Hoessein - memories of a remarkable king - Father of modern Jordan
 Press - Jordan Times - independent Jordan daily
 Umm el-Jimal - amazingly preserved Byzantine / Early Islamic town
An extensive rural settlement constructed of black basalt in the lava lands east of Mafraq, a seventy-minute drive northeast of Amman
 University of Jordan

Cuisine - Jordanian Cooking

 Culinair - arabian recipes
 Jordan: The Land and the Table - Cecil Hourani
Paperback 192 pages (August 1, 2003); Publisher: Prospect Books; Language: English; ISBN: 1903018269
Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan 
By Sonia Uvezian
First-rate cookbook that provides a wide spectrum of authentic and easy-to-follow recipes that make use of healthful and readily available ingredients. Both the narrative and illustrations are fascinating, and there are also some wonderful menu suggestions. ASIN 0970971680.

History of Jordan

Independant 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)

 Jordan's History - Wikipedia
Its history began around 2000 B.C., when Semitic Amorites settled around the Jordan River in the area called Canaan. Subsequent invaders and settlers included Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arab Muslims, Christian Crusaders, Mameluks, Ottoman Turks, and, finally, the British. At the end of World War I, the territory now comprising Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem was awarded to the United Kingdom by the League of Nations as the mandate for Palestine and Transjordan...
Jordan: Past and Present: Petra, Jerash, Amman - E. Borgia
Hardcover 76 pages (January 2003); Publisher: Oxford University Press; Language: English; ISBN: 888162124X
 'Ain Gazal Excavation Reports
'Ain Ghazal is a Neolithic site located near Amman, Jordan. It is currently being excavated by an American -Jordanian team directed by Gary O. Rollefson Director, the 'Ain Ghazal Research Institute and Zeidan Kafafi, the University of Yarmouk at Irbid, Jordan.
 Fransiscan Archeological Institute

Music, Culture & Entertainment

 Music of Jordan - strong Bedouin influence
 Aramusic.com -  arabian music
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights 
Rosamund Fowler (Illustrator)
An original version of the "Arabian Nights" stories from award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean. In order to delay her inevitable execution, Queen Shaharazad tells her murdering husband, King Shahryar, a wonderfully exciting story every night. The King is used to a new wife every day, only to put her to death the following day, but finds himself so intrigued in the magical stories Shaharazad tells, he can't bring himself to kill her. Night after night she tells her wonderful stories until the King starts to realize that he won't be able to live without them.
Paperback 288 pages (July 15, 1999); Publisher: Oxford University Press; Language: English; ISBN: 0192750135

Web Portal / Search Engine

 Bible Places - Amman
Philadelphia, Roman Theatre, Acropolis, Temple of Hercules, David's Attack and more
 General Travel info about Jordan - Jordan Embassy US
 Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
 Keys to the Kingdom
 Webs of Jordan
 Berro.com -
American Lebanese website featuring an evolving directory of Lebanon Websites Top Links, Lebanon News, Books, and more

 Arab.net - Jordan
 Arabbye.com - Search Engine For The Arab World


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