About Jordan

Jordan (Arabic: الأردنّ‎ al-Urdunn), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Jordan is located in the heart of the Middle East, Northwest of Saudi Arabia, South of Syria, Southwest of Iraq, and East of Israel and the Palestinian National Authority. Jordan has access to the Red Sea via the port city of Aqaba, located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba.
Jordan has a combination of Mediterranean and arid desert climates, with Mediterranean prevailing in the North and West of the country, while the majority of the country is desert. Generally, the country has warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters, with annual average temperatures ranging from 12 to 25 C (54 to 77 F) and summertime highs reaching the 40 C (105-115 F) in the desert regions. Rainfall averages vary from 50 mm (1.97 inches) annually in the desert to 800 mm (31.5 inches) in the northern hills, some of which falls as snow in some years.

Jordan enjoys a range of geographical features, starting from the Jordan Rift Valley in the West ending at the desert plateau of the East, with a range of small hills running the length of the country in between.
Lowest Point: Dead Sea, -408 meters (-1338.6 feet)
Highest Point: Jebel Rum, 1734 meters (5689 feet)

Currency and Exchange Rates
Jordan's currency is the Jordanian Dinar or JD. It is subdivided into 1000 fills, or 100 qirsh or piasters. It appears in paper notes of 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 JD denominations. Coins come in denominations of 0.5 JD, 0.25 JD, and 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5 fills. The daily exchange rate is published in local newspapers.



AMMAN
The early occupation of Amman dates back to the Neolithic period (ca. 6500 BC). Archaeological excavation at Ain Ghazal has shown evidence not only of a settled life then but also the growth of artistic work. Since that time Amman has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations. In the thirteenth century Amman was called Rabbath Ammon by the Ammonites. Then came the Assyrians followed by the Persians then the Greeks, who called it Philadelphia.

In the first century BC Philadelphia became under the Roman control and joined the Decapolis-; a league of ten cities. In the following centuries, 324 AD, Christianity became the religion of the empire and Philadelphia became the seat of bishopric. This was the start of the Byzantine era. It got its present name Amman in the Ghasanaian era, and flourished under the Ummayads and the Abbasids. Then it was destroyed by the many earthquakes and disasters until 1887 which marks the settlement of the Circassians.


JERASH
The city's golden age came under Roman rule and the site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates.


AJLOUN
The marvels of nature and the genius of medieval Arab military architecture have given north Jordan two of the most important ecological and historical attractions in the Middle East the sprawling pine forests of the Ajloun-Dibbine area, and the towering Arab-Islamic castle at Ajloun that helped to defeat the Crusaders eight centuries ago. Both these natural and man-made marvels, along with other attractions in the north, are being carefully protected to form the core of a pioneering Eco-tourism project now being implemented with French technical assistance, which aims to preserve the large pine forest that stretches from Ajloun towards the north; this is a unique environmental resource, for it is the southernmost complete pine forest in the world.

The area's cool forests, beautiful picnic areas, and extensive walking trails already attract visitors throughout the April-October season, especially from the Gulf and other warmer regions of the Middle East.


PELLA
In addition to Jerash and Amman, Gadara (now Umm Qais ) and Pella ( now Tabaqat Fahil ) were once Decapolis cities, and each has unique appeal. Famous for the biblical story of the Gadarene Swine, was renewed in its time as a cultural centre. Perched on a splendid hill top overlooking the Jordan Valley and the sea of Galilee, Umm Qais boasts impressive ancient remains. Such as the stunning black basalt theatre, the basilica and adjacent courtyard strewn with nicely carved black sarcophagi, the colonnaded main street and a side street lined with shops, an underground mausoleum, two baths, a nymphaeum, a city gate and the faint on outlines of what was a massive hippodrome. Pella is exceptionally rich in antiquities, some of which are exceedingly old. Besides the excavated ruins from the Graeco- Roman period, Pella offers visitors the opportunity to see the remains of Chalcolithic settlement from the 4th millennium BC, evidence of Bronze and Iron Age walled cities, Byzantine churches, early Islamic residence and a small medieval mosque.


UM QAIS (Gadara)
Situated on a broad promontory 378 meters above sea level, this town was known as Gadara, one of the ancient Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis, and according to the Bible, the spot where Jesus cast out the Devil from two demoniacs (mad men) into a herd of pigs (Mathew 8:28-34). In ancient times, Gadara was strategically situated, laced by a number of key trading routes connecting Syria and Palestine. It was blessed with fertile soil and abundant rainwater. This town also flourished intellectually and became distinguished for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, attracting writers, artists, philosophers and poets, the likes of Satirist Menippos (second half of the 3rd century BC), the epigrammist, Meleagros (ca.110-40 BC), and the rhetorician, Theodoros (AD14-37). Gadara was also the resort of choice for Romans vacationing in the nearby Himmet Gader Springs.

Archaeological surveys indicate that Gadara was occupied as early as the 7th century BC. The Greek historian, Polybius, described the region as being under Ptolemic control at the time. The Seleucid ruler Antiochus III conquered it in 218 BC, naming the city Antiochia and Seleucia. In 63 BC, Pompey liberated Gadara and joined it to the Roman league of ten cities, the Decapolis. Soon after, the fortunes of Gadara improved rapidly and building was undertaken on a large scale, carried out for the love of Pompey's freed man, Demetrius, who had been born there.
BAPTISIM

Important new information about the area of Bethany beyond the Jordan -- where John the Baptist preached and baptized during the early days of his ministry -- has recently been revealed following archaeological surveys and excavations along the length of Wadi Al-Kharrar since 1996.

Combined evidence from the biblical text, Byzantine and medieval writers' accounts, and most recent archaeological works, place the tradition of John the Baptist's mission, including the baptism of Jesus, adjacent to -- and directly east of -- the Jordan River, in the land of the modern Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.


MADABA
The trip south from Amman along the 5,000-year-old King's Highway is one of the most memorable journeys in the Holy Land, passing through a string of ancient sites. The first city you come upon is Madaba, "the City of Mosaics". Madaba's chief attraction -in the contemporary Greek Orthodox church of St. George- is a wonderfully vivid, sixth-century Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites.


MT. NEBO
Close to the village of Faysaliyah seven kilometers west of Madaba, Mount Nebo rises from the Transjordanian plateau. It is bound on the east by the Wadi Afrit (which extends into the Wadi el-Kanisah) and the Wadi Judeideh further south and on the north by the Wadi en-Naml and further the Wadi Ayoun Mousa . It is flanked on the west by the Jordan Valley
Mount Nebo's highest crest reaches an altitude of 800 meters above the surrounding Belqa plateau.. The other peaks are slightly lower, all of them rising from 700 meters. Of these, the two most important, historically speaking are the peaks of Siyagha (710m.) on the western side and the peak of el Mukhayyat (790m.) on the S-E. All the year round several streams flow down the sides of the mountain: Ayoun Mousa and Ain Jemmaleh on the north, Ain Judeideh, Kanisah and Ain Hery on the south.


Umm al Jimal
The eastern most of the major northern cities, Umm al Jimal, is located at the edge of the eastern basalt desert plain, along a secondary road that was close to the junction of several ancient trade routes that linked central Jordan with Syria and Iraq. Among the most interesting structures to visit are the tall barracks with their little chapel, several large churches, numerous open and roofed water cisterns, the outlines of a Roman fort and the remains of several town gates.


Umm al Rassas
Excavations here have uncovered some of the finest Byzantine church mosaics in the Middle East, including a large carpet depicting Old and New Testament cities on both the east and west banks of the Jordan River. Another feature at Umm al Rassas walled settlement is a 15-meter Byzantine tower used by early Christian monks seeking solitude.


DEAD SEA
The Dead Sea eastern coast in Jordan is one of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the whole world. A series of new roads, hotels and archaeological discoveries are converging to make this region, the lowest spot on earth at 410 meters below sea level, as enticing to international visitors today as it was to kings, emperors, traders and prophets in antiquity.

The leading attraction at the Dead Sea is the hot, soothing super-salty seawater, which is four times saltier than normal seawater. It is rich in chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine and several others. This unusually salty, buoyant and mineral-rich water has attracted visitors since ancient times, all of whom have floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up the water’s healthy minerals along with the gently defused rays of the Jordanian sun.


PETRA
Hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, the rock-carved city of Petra is full of mysterious charm. The approach through the cool gloom of the Siq, a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, the Khasneh, whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun.

More facades beckon the visitor on until the ancient city gradually unfolds, one monument leading to the next for kilometer after kilometer. The sheer size of the city and the quality of beautifully carved facades is staggering and leads one to reflect on the creativity and industry of the Nabateans who made Petra their capital more than 2,000 years ago. From their capital at Petra the Nabateans had established an elaborate network of caravan routes which brought spices, incense, myrrh, gold, silver and precious stones from India and Arabia, to be traded onto the west.


WADI RUM
Stunning in its natural beauty, Wadi Rum epitomizes the romance of the desert. With its "moonscape" of ancient valleys and towering sandstone mountains rising out of the sand, Wadi Rum is also home to several Bedouin tribes who live in scattered camps throughout the area. Climbers are especially attracted to Wadi Rum because of its sheer granite and sandstone cliffs, while hikers enjoy its vast empty spaces. Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Much of David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia was filmed in Wadi Rum.


AQABA
Take time off from the sun and fun and learn about the resort’s history, which dates back to the fourth millennium BC. Tel al-Khalifeh, inside the Jordanian-Eilat border, was initially identified with the Eziongerber, mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, where King Solomon built a fleet that sailed to Ophir (Somalia) and returned with 420 talents of gold. But recent excavations indicate that the site was found after the 8th Century BC and served commercial and industrial purposes: for smelting copper and as a halting place for caravans. During the 1st Century BC, the Nabteans, who raised livestock and pirated merchants’ ships in the Red Sea, inhabited Ayla. During the same time, merchants from Ailana were found in South Arabia (Yemen) buying frankincense and myrrh. From 106 AD, rulers and civilizations came and went, starting from the Romans, to the Sultans and Islamic rule.