The Ultimate Travel Guide to Jordan: History & Attractions

The ancient city of Petra carved in rose-red rock, the surreal Wadi Rum desert and the Dead Sea — Jordan is the Middle East's most accessible treasure.

A Glimpse into History

Jordan's position at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe has made it one of the most historically layered places on earth — every major ancient civilisation left its mark on this small but extraordinary country. Neolithic settlements at Ain Ghazal near Amman (7250 BC) rank among humanity's earliest known villages. The Nabataean Arabs carved their capital Petra into rose-red sandstone cliffs between 400 BC and 106 AD, controlling the incense trade routes between Arabia, Egypt, and Rome. The Romans annexed Nabatea in 106 AD and built Jerash — still the best-preserved Roman provincial city outside Italy. Byzantine Christianity flourished with remarkable mosaic churches, including the famous 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in Madaba. The Islamic conquests of 636 AD brought a new civilisation, and the Umayyad caliphate built a series of desert castles for pleasure and politics across the Jordanian steppe. Crusader castles at Karak and Shobak attest to medieval conflicts between Christian and Muslim kingdoms. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was established under King Abdullah I after WWI, carved from the former Ottoman territories. Jordan has since played a careful diplomatic role in one of the world's most volatile regions, welcoming over 2 million Palestinian refugees and 660,000 Syrian refugees. King Abdullah II continues the Hashemite tradition of protecting Jerusalem's holy sites for all three Abrahamic faiths.

Top Attractions in Jordan

Petra — The Rose City

The Nabataean capital carved entirely from rose-red sandstone is the most spectacular archaeological site in the Middle East. The narrow Siq canyon leads to the sudden revelation of Al-Khazneh (the Treasury) — a 40-metre carved facade glowing pink at sunrise. Beyond lies a city of 800 carved tombs, a colonnaded street, Roman theatre, and Byzantine church mosaics, covering 264 sq km.

Wadi Rum Desert

The Valley of the Moon — vast red-sand desert of towering sandstone mountains, ancient rock inscriptions, and Bedouin camp fire culture — was T.E. Lawrence's base during the Arab Revolt and Hollywood's stand-in for Mars in The Martian. Overnight stays in luxury Martian domes or Bedouin goat-hair tents under the Milky Way are Jordan's most extraordinary experiences.

Dead Sea

The world's saltiest and lowest body of water (430 metres below sea level) allows every bather to float effortlessly on its dense mineral waters — the ritual mud smear, the buoyant float, and watching the salt crystal formations at dusk from the Jordanian shore are bucket-list experiences. The Dead Sea is also shrinking at 1 metre per year, making visits increasingly urgent.

Jerash Roman City

The best-preserved Roman city in the Middle East features 2,000-year-old colonnaded streets, two theatres, a hippodrome, nymphaeum fountains, and temple complexes that feel more intact than Rome itself. The annual Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts fills the ancient theatres with concerts, making it one of the world's most atmospheric performance venues.