Ten days in Jordan

When I visited Jordan, I was in the process of coming to terms with my father’s unexpected death, and to do this I felt the urge to travel somewhere to restore my faith in the world. Jordan and its amazing treasures, hidden around the country, helped me reconcile what was going on in my personal life. Petra, Wadi Rum, and Jerash are three of the best-known destinations in the country, and Petra itself is worth a long weekend visit if you do not have time to stroll around this Middle Eastern paradise. However, Jordan’s little gems are scattered about so try to plan a more extended trip.

The richness of its cultural and natural heritage, as well as the safety of the country in an area of the world otherwise surrounded by conflict, make Jordan a fantastic destination for mid-length trips, especially in October when the weather is mild. From the northwestern city of Umm Qais (the Roman Gadara) to the Gulf of Aqaba in the south, here is a list of places you want to see on a ten-day trip to Jordan.

Day 1 Umm el-Jamal and the Desert Castles

1. Umm el-Jimal

Abandoned for thousands of years and surrounded by a dark desert, the black city of Umm el-Jimal is located in the southern part of the Hauran region, less than 4 miles (6 km) from the Syrian border. Umm el-Jimal has a chaotic, unplanned layout. However, it is worth a visit, especially for the quality of some of the ruins. Some houses are beautifully preserved and still contain their original ceilings, while others are mere fragments of what they once were. Strolling around Umm el-Jimal you will fall in love with the lunar-like landscape.

2. Qasr al Azraq

Scattered through the black basalt desert, the so-called Desert Castles were fortresses, caravanserais (or large guest houses) and baths mainly constructed during the Umayyads period (661–750). Built on the ruins of a Roman fort and considered one of the most exquisite expressions of early Islamic architecture, Qasr al Azraq is famous amongst the tourist masses for having provided lodging to Thomas Edward Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, the British intelligence officer active in Jordan during the First World War. Mentioned in his book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, the castle of Azraq is the place where he spent winter 1917–1918. During your tour of the castle, you can visit his office in the room above the gate entrance.

Good to know before you go If you read the description of Qasr Al Azraq written by Lawrence of Arabia, and then you go and visit, you might risk being seriously disappointed. The lavish oasis with palm trees and plants does not exist anymore due to the water being intensively pumped to meet the needs of the area’s increasing population. Sadly, by the beginning of the 1990s, the oasis had completely dried up.

3. Quseir Amra

In the middle of the vast desert land, against the intense blue of the sky beaming with sunlight, stands the building of Quseir Amra. Built under the Umayyads in the 8th Century, the entrance hall and hamman, (a bath complex with changing room, and cold and hot water pools) boast incredible frescoes which are surprisingly still completely intact despite being created over 1,300 years ago.

A map of heaven and the representation of the zodiac decorate the dome of the caldarium, the hot room. But here there are different subjects, from hunting scenes to royal portraits, and dancing girls to workers, from animals and birds to inscriptions in Greek and Arabic. All of these scenes and their rich, decorative elements make the castle of Amra a UNESCO World Heritage site.

4. Qasr Kharana

Completely isolated from any other kind of human settlement, immersed in the wilderness of the desert with its austere architecture, is Qasr Kharana. This castle seems as arid as the land surrounding it. The bland exterior matches the plainness of its interior. The only decorations in the entire building are on the second floor. Different from the castles of Azraq and Quseir Amra, this fortress only relied on rain for its water supply. The real function of this building is still debated which makes it a mysterious place.

Day 2 Amman and Kasr el Abd

The capital of Jordan, Amman, renamed in the third century BC under the Greek-Roman domination Philadelphia (meaning Brotherly Love), preserves traces of its ancient history in several spots across the city. You can start your visit from the Citadel, the area on the highest hill in Amman. The city has been occupied since the Bronze Age and the most notable places to see are the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad Palace, and the Archeological Museum.

From the vast Temple of Hercules, overlooking the Roman Amphitheater, there is a terrific view of the city. The panorama is even more magical at dusk when the sunlight hits the domes of the many mosques which are peppered throughout Amman. The Archeological Museum displays the Neolithic statues (8000–6000 BC), found in Ain Gazhal, a village near Amman, that are the earliest large-scale statues depicting the human form ever found in the Near East. Nearby the museum, there is a Byzantine Church built in circa 550 AD.

Descending the hill of the Citadel, you must stop into the new Jordan Museum. In close proximity to the archeological area with the Roman Theatre and the Nymphaeum, the museum displays other examples of Ain Gazhal statues as well as some of the treasures once exhibited in the Archeological Museum. Like the Jordan share of Dead Sea Scrolls, including the only one in copper, and some remains from Petra and Little Petra.

6. Qasr-el-Abd

In a valley 10 miles (17 km) west of Amman lies a superb archeological gem: the Hellenistic palace erected by Hyrcanus of Jerusalem, a man with ties to Jerusalem nobility. Some of the most prominent of the palace’s features are the low reliefs of lions on the walls. Qasr-el-Abd is the best example of Hellenistic architecture in Jordan.

Day 3 Gadara and Jerash

Overlooking the north Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee is the site of the ancient Roman city of Gadara. Notable here is the black basalt theatre with a marble sculpture of a goddess seated in the orchestra, the street lined on one side with barrel-vaulted shops, the basilica, and its courtyard on a semi-artificial terrace. Walking in Gadara amongst its black basalt and white limestone ruins, don’t miss the rock-cut tombs with Greek inscriptions, the Roman mausoleum, and the two Byzantine bath complexes.

8. Jerash

Jerash’s striking Hellenistic ruins make it a must-visit during your stay in Jordan — a stunning oval forum (plaza), an impressive staircase leading to the beautiful temple of Artemis adorned with Corinthian columns, and an elegant nymphaeum (a sanctuary consecrated to water nymphs) and macellum (Roman food market). Built as a Hellenistic village, it flourished during the Roman Empire and is one of the best-preserved Roman cities outside of Rome, Italy, itself. To illustrate the significance of the city, the emperor Hadrian came to Jerash, the Roman Gerasa, in winter 129 A.D. To commemorate his visit, a monumental arch was erected ( Arch of Hadrian — still visible near the southern gate of Jerash, close to the Hippodrome).

Walking through the ancient ruins of Jerash, you will notice the two theatres and the early Christian remains. Among the more than 15 churches found here, you should see the Cathedral, built on the site of the Dionysus Temple close to the Artemis Temple. Take a look at the Church of Saint John the Baptist, whose layout is planned as a circle inscribed in a square and part of a three church complex. Many mosaics are still visible in their original places of worship. A couple of major invasions (first the Persians in 614, then Muslims in 636 whose influence is present by Ummayed houses and a mosque) and a significant earthquake one century later led to Jerash’s decline.

Day 4 Machaerus, Madaba and Mount Nebo

On a rocky hilltop along the 5,000 year old Kings’ Highway, east of the Jordan River and well above the Dead Sea, sits the Fortress of Machaerus. It was here where according to the Bible, Salome danced asking for John the Baptist’s head and where the saint was beheaded. A must-visit because the view from the palace is unrivaled and walking the rooms where such a brutal act was executed is fascinating.

10. Mount Nebo

This mountaintop terrace offers stunning panoramas of the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. According to tradition, this is where God showed the prophet Moses the Promised Land and where Moses died and was buried. Enjoy the scene and be inspired by the history and spirituality of the place. Mount Nebo has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries (the first church was built back in the second century on the supposed site where Moses’ remains rest), and you might want to escape the mass.

11. Madaba

Hundreds of mosaics from the Byzantine and Umayyad periods (mainly dated between the 5th and the 17th) were discovered under every church and almost every house in this town. This is how Madaba has earned its reputation as “the city of Mosaics.”

The Mosaic Map of Jerusalem, one of the most impressive pieces in the town, depicts villages, hills, and valleys, geographically ranging from the Nile Delta to Lebanon and includes a map of Jerusalem with the inscribed legend “Holy city of Jerusalem.” This piece of ancient art is still in situ on the floor of the Orthodox church of Saint George which was built over a Byzantine church.

Another fabulous mosaic is on the floor of the Byzantine Church of the Virgin with a history of several archeological reuses. This church was built on a mansion over a Roman temple. Here, the central decoration shows scenes from the tragedy of Phaedra and Hippolytus. Other parts of the floor show birds, animals, flowers, and plants.

Day 5 Kastron Mefaa and The Crusaders Castles

If you think Madaba is intriguing, Umm Ar-Rasas, the ancient Kastron Mefaa mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, is a place you don’t want to miss. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, on the floor of the Byzantine church of Saint Stephen, keeps the largest mosaic in Jordan and contains the map of several cities from the Holy Land. Built over a Roman fort, the ancient village of Kastron Mefaa also has a fascinating high tower not accessible by any door. It was used by monks who were apparently entering by using a removable ladder to practice their asceticism (time in isolation).

Crusaders castles

13. Kerak

Endless dark passageways and the presence of tons of stone-vaulted halls are the only awe-inspiring elements of Kerak, the castle famous for the fights between crusaders and the Islamic armies of Saladin. If you are lucky enough to visit it on a bright day, you can see across the Dead Sea all the way to the Mount of Olives at the border with Jerusalem.

To do: The 19th -century Ottoman administrative buildings in front of the fortress have been modified to house the touristic center and a few other services, including several restaurants. Go for lunch and don’t miss catching a nice glimpse of the fortress from the terrace of the plaza.

14. Shobak

Shobak is a fort that sits on a hilltop surrounded by a desert valley. Built by Reynald of Chatillon, one of the leading figures of crusaders, the fort was then taken by Saladin in 1189. Restored one century later by the Mamluks, here the dungeons and towers are still visible.

Day 9 Dead Sea

Do not leave Jordan without rewarding yourself with a splash at the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea. Bobbing on this lake is a lot of fun even if the salty water might burn your skin after a short-10 minute experience and you need to immediately take a shower afterward to eliminate all the salt.

A well-known healing spot from Antiquity, the Dead Sea shore is now the site of many spa resorts. From the splendor of the Kempinski, which has one of the largest spas in the entire Middle East, to the spare Mujib chalets, there is something for everyone. If you don’t have time to spend one night at a resort, just pay the fee at the Zara Spa at the Movenpick Resort and Spa and try the black mud treatment.

Good to know before you go It’s better to avoid entering the water if you have small skin scratches or cuts as the high concentration of salt in the water (which makes it impossible for marine species to live here, hence the name Dead Sea), could cause a painful, itchy reaction when in contact with your skin. For the same reason, even the Jordan Tourism board advises people to first visit the Dead Sea and only after their visit head to Aqaba for snorkeling to avoid entering the salty water with grazes from the coral reef.

Another essential recommendation (but I am sure you will hear about this, everybody once you’re there as this is what happened to me) is to avoid putting water around your eyes since it can be excruciatingly painful. It is especially dangerous if you wear contact lenses so if you do, bring an extra pair of them with you.

19. Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ in Bethany

Close to the stream of the Jordan River, at the border with Israeli, is Bethany. This little historical settlement is the place where John the Baptist used to baptize and where Jesus Christ received this sacrament. From here, head to the river and you will discover how close you are to the border with Israel.

Several Byzantine churches in the area with beautiful mosaics, marble steps leading to the water and a baptismal pool indicate that the spot was already considered as a holy place and a pilgrimage destination in the 4th Century.

Day 10 Aqaba

20. Aqaba

After days of intense walking and hiking, Aqaba is the perfect destination to relax and take it easy, splashing in the warm water of the Red Sea while seeing the borders of Israel and Egypt.