Jordan Red Sea Places of Interest

Amman -
The restored Roman Theater built in the 2nd century AD is the most impressive remnant of the Roman city of Philadelphia. It holds 6000 people and is cut into the side of a hill that once served as a giant graveyard. There is also a Folklore Museum and Traditional Jewels & Costumes Museum here.

The Roman Citadel, the garrison for centurions, stands atop a hill. Most of the buildings are now rubble, but you can see Roman, Byzantine and Muslim architecture as well as the National Archaeological Museum.

Jerash -
Jerash is a wonderfully preserved Roman City. Under excavations since the 1920s, it is estimated that only 10% of the Roman City has been uncovered. Inside the city wall there is a Temple of Zeus and a rare oval-shaped Forum. Built in the 1st century, the South Theatre once held 5000 spectators.

Madaba -
Located 30km south of Amman, much of Madaba is now a carefully restored Archaeological Park. The town has a very easy-going feel to it. It is well-known for its beautiful Byzantine-era mosaics, especially the 'Madaba map'. Made of two million pieces, the 6th-century mosaic map of Palestine shows the Nile, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. The Madaba Map can be viewed in St George's Greek Orthodox Church.

Petra -

Set in a deep canyon and only accessible through a narrow winding cleft in the rock, Petra is a stunning city carved from sandstone that takes on deep rusty hues interlaced with bands of grey, yellow, blue and rose. The city of Petra remained lost for over 1000 years until it was rediscovered in 1812. Petra was the Nabatean capital and until recently was home to a number of Bedouin families who have been relocated to the surrounding hills. Petra is an absolutely stunning site and is a must see for all visitors to Jordan.

Qasr al-Hallabat -
Originally Qasr al-Hallabat was a Roman fort, but was taken over by the Umayyads and converted into a pleasure palace. Hammam as-Sarakh is a bathhouse and hunting lodge that has been almost entirely restored. Here you can see the original channels that were used for hot water and steam.

Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum boasts some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the world. Many of the scenes from the film,Lawrence of Arabia were shot here. Wadi Rum is a majestical landscape of bizarre, soaring rock formations called jebels. The best way to view the desert is in a 4WD or for the more enduring, a camel.