Jordan is the land of fairy tales in the Middle East.
The Kingdom of Jordan immediately evokes memories of fairy tales, staying in Jordan is like a miracle. Houses made of white stone against the background of a clear blue sky, the amazing beauty of the mountains with bizarre trees and shrubs, olive groves, ancient castles, magical deserts. The Red Sea, with its unique flora and fauna, and of course the healing Dead Sea.
A country with a thousand-year history - the cradle of civilization, one of the main cultural centers in the Middle East - is actively developing its tourist potential, one of the most stable and safe countries in the Middle East, known for its ancient monuments, nature reserves and sea resorts, there is also a famous archaeological attraction - the city of Petra.
Vacations in Jordan are mainly chosen by family tourists with an average and higher income level, who want to improve their health and rejuvenate in spa centers with a powerful arsenal of healing waters and mud, and at the same time enrich themselves spiritually by visiting the sights with excursions - legends. A separate category of travelers to Jordan are pilgrims and people who are simply fascinated by world history and art: the kingdom is proud of the oldest monuments, many of which are related to biblical stories. A relatively small territory of the country can be traveled in a few days, and then - enjoy a beach vacation at the seaside resort of Aqaba.
In Jordan, even the most experienced tourists will be able to choose a holiday to their liking. Holy places, the Dead and Red Seas, deserts, ancient fortresses and ancient Greek colonnades, rocky gorges, hot springs, delicious national cuisine and friendly people - here is everything you can dream of when going on a trip. And even more.
Jordan is an Arab state on the east bank of the Jordan River. The kingdom borders Syria in the north, Iraq in the northeast, Saudi Arabia in the east and south, and Israel in the west.
The area of Jordan is 92,300 km², about 90% of the territory of the kingdom is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts.
Population: 6.2 million, 95% of the population are Arabs. Jordanian Arabs make up 35% of the population, 55% are from Palestine, other nationalities 5%.
Capital: Amman.
Large cities: Petra, Aqaba, Amman.
Main resorts: Aqaba, Dead Sea region.
Official language: Arabic, English is also widely spoken. Arabic and English are compulsory for learning in schools.
Time: UTC +2, in summer +1: 00 h.
Country code: +962
Currency: Jordanian dinar (JOD), one dinar consists of 100 piastres; (1 JOD = 1.5 $).
Religion: the majority of the population professes Islam (Christians make up 6% of the permanent population).
Subtropical, Mediterranean (average temperature in January + 8 ... + 14 ° C, July + 24 ... 30 ° C).
Aqaba on the Red Sea remains warm and sunny even in winter days, evenings can be cool. At the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the planet, it is summer all year round. The water temperature in the Red and Dead Seas does not fall below +21 ° C all year round. Summer nights in these places are warm. The best time to visit Jordan is spring and autumn. In the north, it rains from November to March.
Tipping is not mandatory in Jordan, but is always greatly appreciated. In hotels and restaurants, you can simply add about 10% of the total cost of the meal to the bill, however, it is more customary to give a small tip directly to the waiter. Tips are given to hotel staff (0.5-1 dinar), tour guide (1-2 dinars per person), driver (up to 1.5 dinars per person). Tips here usually make up a large (often the main) part of Jordanians' earnings, so not tipping means depriving a person of their main source of income.
Jordanian cuisine is faithful to Arab culinary traditions, but has many distinctive features. Dishes of local cuisine are not as hot and spicy as is usually thought. Jordanians love to add mint, various greens and herbs, all kinds of lemons, onions, pickled olives, and pine nuts to their food.
Salads, stews, pastries with various fillings, and hummus (dishes made of finely grated peas with greens) are popular snacks.
In addition to pitas of various types and bread, cakes are popular in the country, which are often used as a kind of "edible spoons".
Local meat dishes are most often lamb or veal with rice or potatoes.
One of the most popular dishes in Jordan is mensaf.
Mensaf - lamb with rice, cooked in sour cream. This dish is served at weddings, called lunches or dinners. In Jordan, mensaf is made with laban, sour cream, and served on a large platter. Finely chopped lamb is placed on an even layer of rice, and roasted nuts are sprinkled on top. Often, a tortilla or pita bread is placed under a layer of rice.
Jordanians are big sweet tooths. All Arab sweets are delicious, but especially worth noting: Arab ice cream with nuts, baklava (baklava) with pistachios and honey, mukhalyabiya (jelly-like milk mousse), kanafa (sweet vermicelli with cheese) are served for dessert. Sweets produced in Jordan are among the best in the Arab world.
Among the drinks in Jordan, mint tea with black tea and a small amount of sugar is known. Jordanians love coffee with cardamom.
Alcohol is not in short supply, during Ramadan tourists are convincingly asked to show respect and refrain from it in public places. Locally produced Amstel beer and local wines are very popular. The most famous Arab strong drink is arak. This is aniseed moonshine. It is diluted with water, resulting in such a whitish drink with a sharp taste and aroma.
Jordan is very rich in sights and historical places, every tourist will find something to his liking here. Among the main attractions, we recommend visiting:
This, without exaggeration, is the hallmark of Jordan, a city carved by the ancient Nabataean tribes right into the pink rocks, changing its hue depending on the time of day. The journey to the heart of Petra begins from the Sik Gorge, from where you can walk to the facade of the Treasury of the Pharaohs or use a local taxi - horse-drawn carts. In the bas-reliefs of the 60-meter rocks, you can endlessly learn the profiles of human faces and silhouettes of animals, and even find traces of ancient writing. In the end, the road will lead out of the deep gorge to the same Treasury, or El Khazneh Mausoleum, where the movie about Indiana Jones, Transformers and Mission to Mars was filmed. Initially, the building served as a temple of the goddess Isis, whose outlines are still preserved on the upper part of the facade. The territory of the city occupies a huge area, and if you go a little deeper from the Treasury, you can see an incredibly beautiful panorama with an amphitheater, rock-cut monasteries and caves. On certain days of the summer, a world-famous night show is held on the territory of the gorge - the 5-kilometer path between the rocks and the platform in front of the Treasury is strewn with burning candles, national music sounds, and at the end of the path you can treat yourself to tea or real Arabic coffee.
Petra is located 3 hours by car from Amman.
The city is included in the UNESCO list and attracts more and more tourists every year. Now here you can walk along the main street paved with stones with traces of ancient chariots and a large colonnade, see three amphitheatres, the main square, the ruins of the temples of Zeus and Artemis, the hippodrome, fountains, ancient market stalls.
The Greco-Roman city of Jerash (anciently Heras) is an hour's drive from Amman. The history of this city has its roots in the deep past. Jerash is one of the provincial cities of RTM, which is the most preserved from ancient times. Stone-paved streets and colonnades, hilltop temples, theaters, squares, pools and fountains are combined here. Jerash is often called the "Pompeii of the East". Tourists are invited to wander the ancient streets of the city from the time of Alexander the Great. Jerash is really beautiful. Every year in July, a festival of culture and art takes place in Jerash, in which the most popular artists and singers from all over the Arab East take part. A fairly cursory tour of the city will take 2-3 hours, and comfortable shoes will not hurt.
Located an hour's drive from Amman.
Today, Mount Nebo is included in all pilgrimage routes. Its other name is the mountain of Moses: it was from here that the Christian prophet saw the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering in the desert. Its height is only 800 meters above sea level, but in clear weather from this point you can see half of Jordan and Israel, the Dead Sea and partially - the Jordan River valley. Just as Moses saw it all. The Bible says that his grave is located not far from the mountain, but they cannot find it to this day. On the territory of the Memorial of Moses on the top of the Sky there is a stele erected in honor of the visit of the Pope here, a small but interesting museum and observation decks with dizzying views.
It is located 7 km from the city of Madaba.
Amman is a densely populated ancient hill town. Its scale can be fully appreciated from the highest point. The ancient Citadel rises above the city on Fortress Hill. The palace of the Umayyads and the ruins of the temple of Hercules, which are almost 2 thousand years old, have survived to this day. From here you can see the oldest district of the city and the ancient Roman amphitheater at the foot of the mountain, where mass spectacular events are still held in our time. The panorama of the city with many houses and narrow winding streets is truly speechless.
The scenery along the way is very reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in Colorado, USA. High in the mountains, the descent into a deep gorge begins, in which thousand-year-old thermal springs flow, replenishing the Dead Sea's water supply. It is always 10 degrees warmer here than in the entire territory of Jordan, and the temperature in the springs itself is kept at the level of 40-60 degrees Celsius. The water contains a large amount of sulfur, calcium, sodium, and magnesium, which has a beneficial effect on metabolism, the condition of the skin, joints, and eliminates all kinds of inflammation. Due to the high temperature, the effect of useful elements occurs much faster. It is impossible to convey all the sensations when you stand under a waterfall of healing hot water surrounded by rocks in one of the deepest points on the planet.
Located 30 km from the city of Madaba.
Translated from Arabic, "Wadi Ram" means "Valley of sand". The incredible beauty of the desert has been officially included in the UNESCO heritage list since 2011. Many compare the desert's mountainous landscapes and its reddish-orange sands with the surface of Mars. Obviously, not for nothing - some scenes of the movie "The Martian" were filmed here. You can drive through the desert in an open-top jeep, drink hot tea in the homes of real Bedouins and spend the night in one of the campsites. Spending the night in the desert is one of the most vivid experiences that will stay with you for the rest of your life. For dinner, they are treated to delicious dishes of national cuisine. And then you can warm yourself by the fire under a cloudless starry sky surrounded by orange rocks and listen to the piercing silence, which is broken only by the crackling of burning wood. Locals call this atmosphere a beautiful Arabic word "Tamam", which means "perfect", "flawless". Such moments are worthy of being scenes from the most inspiring travel film and it seems that there is no place on the whole planet with more peace. In the winter months, the night in the desert can be windy and cool, and in the summer, on the contrary, it can be hot up to 40 degrees.
The famous Jordanian resort town of Aqaba is located on the shores of the Red Sea, and 10 minutes from the center is its new area of Tala Bay, an ideal beach holiday destination. These are kilometers of flawless sea coast and hotels of various levels. The shore offers a view of three countries at the same time - Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel, and every evening you can watch incomparable events.
The small town, located approximately 35 km south of Amman, is one of the most popular tourist destinations. The history of the city goes back centuries - existing for about 4,500 years, the city was destroyed by conquerors many times and revived again. Now Madaba is the center of Christianity in the East, which is first of all evidenced by one of the main sights of the city - the active church of St. George, built over the remains of a Byzantine temple in 1884. It is here that the famous mosaic panel - the map of the Holy Land - is kept. During the excursion, you will find out why Madaba deserved the title of "city of mosaics", and you will also see the main attractions of the city: the Cathedral of the Head of John the Baptist, the Church of the Prophets (578 m), the Archaeological Park (it contains the Temple of the Virgin Mary (VI century ), the Roman Hall of Hippolytus (6th century), the Forum, the colonnades of Cardo Maximus and the Church of St. Elijah (4th century)).
For those who are interested in the religious and spiritual history of Jordan, an excursion to the Jordan River Valley will undoubtedly be informative. Every year, hundreds of pilgrims from different parts of the world seek to get here, and it is no coincidence that this place is mentioned in the Bible as the place where the meeting of Jesus Christ with the Baptist John the Forerunner took place, and the lands opposite Jericho were glorified as the lands of Christ's baptism 2,000 years ago . Currently, there is a parking lot for vehicles, several restaurants and shops, organized tourist routes to the Jordan River and the place of baptism itself, as well as a public bath for mass baptism rites, in which water comes from the holy river.
Umm al-Rasas is the oldest settlement mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. Mukavir - the fortress of Herod the Great, is located an hour's drive from Madaba along the picturesque Royal Road. After Herod's death, the fortress was inherited by his son Antipas. It was here that he ordered the beheading of John the Baptist at the request of Solomia - as a reward for her fatal dance.
The city of Karak is located 150 km south of Amman. In this city there is one of the largest castles of the Crusaders, the main stronghold. The huge structure, rising above the surrounding landscape like a man-made hill, became a part of the city, intertwined with the houses of later construction. Caliph's palaces of the desert (Qasr Amra, Qasr Harrana, Qasr Mushatta, etc.) - about 30 residences-palaces, drowned in green and blooming gardens, some of which have been preserved until now. Very interesting unique frescoes and mosaics in Qasr Amr, included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, give an idea of the palace customs of that time. The main attraction of the city is the El Karak Castle, built in 1142 by Paisne Lebouteler on top of the rock, is a real labyrinth of galleries, secret passages and towers.
Umm Qais (Gadara) - one of the cities of the Greco-Roman Decapolis was substantially destroyed by the Turks. Now, in addition to what remains of the ancient city, visitors can see the restored residence of the Turkish governor, the archaeological museum, the Hadad hills offer an amazing view of the northern part of the Jordan River Valley, Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee), the Yarmouk River, the Gollansky Heights and covered the top of Mount Hermon (Jebel Sheikh) with snow. Pella is located in the northwest of the country, an evergreen city that is of archaeological interest. It is particularly rich in evidence of ancient settlements dating back to the 4th century BC. Pella also offers visitors the opportunity to see the remains of Byzantine churches, which show that the early Christians who were persecuted by the Romans in Jerusalem were saved in this city. There are also quarters of early Muslim settlements with well-preserved houses, shops, and small medieval Muslim mosques. All this is proof of the importance of Pella in ancient times.
Jordan Ministry of Tourism + 962 6 5678444.
The international code for Jordan is 962. To call abroad, first dial 00, then the country code, the area code and the desired phone number.
For inquiries, call 121 for Amman, 131 for the rest of Jordan, and 0132 for international phone numbers. Operators speak English.
The only emergency number is 911
6, Al-Umouma St., Al-Sahl
Phones: (8 10 9626) 592 24 02/03
Fax: (8 10 9626) 592 24 05
E-mail: emb_jo@mfa.gov.ua, ukremb@nets.com.jo
Working hours: 08:30 - 18:00, break 13:00-14:00, weekend: Friday, Saturday.
