Jordanian marvels (and III): Biblical routes

One of the main attractions in Jordan is the existence of many landmarks related to Bible.Thousands of visitors come every year to this country in order to put their feet inside the river where Jesus Christ was supposedly baptized, to visit the cave where Lot took refuge after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, or to sight the castle where King Herod governed. In our last day of our trip, we decided to contact a local guide, Ammar, with who toured part of these historical sites.

Out starting point was the city of Madaba, half an hour away from Amman, famous for the Orthodox church of Saint George. This sanctuary hosts a great Mosaic of 6th century, on the ground right in front of the main altar, with a map of the Holy Land, including locations such as Jerusalem, Jericho or Bethlehem. Madaba is also known because of its artisan workshops where they make precious mosaics. We bought one representing the Tree of Life, main symbol of the city, as a souvenir from this trip.

Near Madaba is the Mount Nebo, other of the key places in the biblical story well worth visiting. From the top, about 800 meters above sea level, the prophet Moses saw for the first time Canaan, the Promised Land, during his exodus from Egypt. On a clear day, it is possible to see Jerusalem and Jericho. Here there is a small church, the Basilica of Moses, built during Byzantine period, with interesting mosaics inside.

To finish the day, Ammar drove us to the banks of Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth (422 meters below sea level), right on the border between Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Its main characteristic is that, due to the high concentration of salt, is almost impossible to dive so you can float without effort. It is recommended to be careful with the water, not letting it go to your eyes or mouth, and not spending too much time inside the sea due to risk of dehydration.

It is possible that, if you go with a guide, you can reach a kind of private resort, where you have to pay an entrance ticket of 20 JD for person. If you don’t have intention to stay too long, apart from a short bath and a couple of photos, and you don’t mind to wait till the hotel in Amman (or wherever you stay) for having a shower, it is better to look for any public beach (really close to this resort) where you can go for free.

Almost without realizing, we reached the end of our adventure in Jordan. A marvelous experience which left us more than satisfied. It was also a special trip because it was the first one we did together as a couple, having finally the opportunity to share our time and experiences in this context. I hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next one.

Jordanian marvels (II): Petra

Crescent Moon canyon. Indiana Jones, his father, Markus and Sallah ride through a narrow gorge in pursuit of the lost city of Alexandretta. After few meters, the majestic façade of what seems to be an ancient temple appears. Here it is supposed to be hidden the Holy Grial. I saw this scene for the first time in the cinema with 9 years old. Since then, the ruins of Petra found a place in my collection of iconic places which I would visit someday. My wishes came true on our third day in our trip, when we were lucky to visit this mythic place.

Built by the Nabateans six centuries before Christ, the ruins of this fabulous city are in Wadi Musa, four hours by bus away from Amman. Since we entered, even before passing the Siq, the spectacular canyon that precedes the entrance of the Treasury, we could appreciate the grandness of this site. Near the main gate, we can observe, for example, the Obelisk Tomb, recognizable by its four pyramids on the top, and other funerary monuments. We can also see in this are the ruins of the old dam built by the Nabateans, a very advanced civilization for its time, but which finished succumbing to the Roman empire expansion. The Siq, as I mentioned, ends in one of the most picturesque and legendary of Petra, the Treasury, with a height of 40 meters, whose inside can not be visited, and whose original function is still a mistery.

After wiping the drool, we continued our walk through the Street of Facades, a little bit wider canyon with several tombs on either side. From here we arrived at the ruins of the theatre, built by the Nabateans and remodeled by Romans. As almost all the monuments in Petra, it was carved out of rock. Ahead is the Colonnaded Street, where there were the most part of the shops in the old city. Besides are the ruins of the Great Temple, the biggest building in the whole architectural complex and, right next to it, the remains of the sanctuary dedicated to the worship of Dusahara or “Lord of the Mountain”, called Qasr al-Bint (Arabic translation of “the castle of the daughter (of Pharao)” by the Bedouins.

From this point, the way become a bit harder, so it is not a bad moment to stop for a while and rest a bit before continuing. From Qasr al-Bint to the Monastery, there is about one-hour distance by foot, passing through narrow paths and steps, with donkeys carrying visitors up and down. On either side, impressive views of cliffs and gorges. It was doubtless my favorite part since here trekking is merged with archeology and nature, the perfect combo. The final climax, once we met the great façade of the old Christian chapel, was epic and we couldn’t help but hugging due to the happiness for admiring all of that. 

In the way back to the main entrance, we still had time to visit an important group of monuments, the Royal Tombs, consisting of four buildings with the Urn Tomb the most remarkable. From this point, with a stunning view beyond the Colonnade Street, you can meet a peculiar shopkeeper, who calls himself “Mohammad in the Mountains”, selling souvenirs. He was saying that we shouldn’t hesitate to publish his photo and location in Internet since he is looking for a bit of fame.

We needed just one day to see the main point of interest in Petra although, actually, I would recommend to stay at least one more day because there are a lot of alternative paths to discover. It is also possible to visit Petra at Night, but just until the gate of the Treasury, where there is a music show by candlelight. My wife loved it, but I thought that there were too many people, with group of tourists making noise and speaking loudly, which broke the magic of the moment. Anyway, it is not a bad option as appetizer, before entering this marvel which will mark you for sure.