Places to visit before you die -- Jordan 1

 

The entrance to the Lost City of Petra

When I heard one of my colleagues was going to take a business trip to Jordan, I knew nothing about this country except it is located in the Middle East. When my colleague was returned, he brought lots of Dead Sea Salt as souvenirs of Jordan.

One year later, I myself was on a business trip to Jordan, which gave me a positive lasting impression. After that, I decided to learn Arabic and stayed in Jordan for the following two years.

During my stay in Jordan, I traveled a lot and visited several historic sites, and natural wonders. These are the four best places I recommend you visit in Jordan.  

 

• Petra

  
  
  

Have you ever seen 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'? Several scenes from this movie was filmed in Petra. Petra is an ancient city built by the Nabataeans, which was once a thriving trading center of Nabataean empire between 400 B.C. and A.D. 106. But a large earthquake which destroyed most of the city and shift in trade routes triggered its collapse. Petra was totally forgotten in the West for hundreds of years until 'rediscovered' by an European explorer in the early 19th century. So that's why this city is also known as the 'Lost City.' Today this beautiful ancient city has become one of most-visited tourist attractions in the Middle East.

• Wadi Rum

  
  
  

This beautiful desert is where ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ was filmed.  You can join a jeep tour to explore Wadi Rum and the best part of the tour is watching the sunset in red sand desert. I recommend you to stay overnight at Bedouins’ tent. As night approaches, you can see countless stars in the night sky. Wadi Rum is one of  the best stargazing spots in the world.  

 

to be continued...

References:

• Milstein Mati, "Lost City" of Petra Still Has Secrets to Reveal, National Geographic, ____, http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/lost-city-petra/   

• Markoe Glenn, Petra Rediscovered: The Lost City of the Nabataean Kingdom, November 1, 2003
• David Lean, 'Lawrence of Arabia'
• Steven Spielberg, 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'