There is no mistaking the fact that Jordan is a Kingdom steeped in history and culture. From the moment you arrive, you get a sense of its rich heritage, all around are remnants of ancient civilizations long since past, yet they still remain, stamped into the very fabric of this amazing Kingdom and etched into the soul of the people who live here. To find out more about historical sites in Jordan, select a destination from the dropdown below .

Where to go

Visitors are often struck by the vast array of tour destinations in Jordan, and the choice can be overwhelming!  To help make your decision easier, here is a selection of the most outstanding areas of interest:

Amman and the North

Our hilly capital has all the excitement of any modern city, coupled with the archaic charm of its historical relics. Visit the Citadel, King Abdullah Mosque, Ummayad Palace and the Roman Theatre, which is still used for public events!

Having mentioned the Romans once, we must mention them again by recommending Jerash, considered to be one of the most important and best-preserved Roman cities in the Near East. Only 45 km from Amman, it makes a perfect day-trip for the city-based visitor. However, if your interest in history has been ignited, continue another 22 km on to Ajloun, home to the Islamic castle built by Izz Aldin Usama in 1184-1185 AD and an important defence position against the crusaders.

Southbound, to God’s country

Whether it’s the mosaics of the Moabite town of Madaba, the divine promises made at Mount Nebo, or the beheading of John the Baptist at Herod’s palace in Mukawir, you should travel south if you want to retrace the steps of famous Biblical figures. Then onward Christian soldiers to Kerak castle, built by the mighty Payem in 1136 AD and one of the finest examples of Crusader military construction.

Rock and roll – sand style

You cannot fail to be ‘rocked’ by the stunning rose-red city of Petra, home to the mysterious Nabateans who painstakingly carved their breathtaking capital from the surrounding mountains at around 300 BC. And we mustn’t forget the adjacent Baidah, or Little Petra, a neolithic village dating from 7000-6500 BC which contains a uniquely complete record of the development of Neolithic architecture.

The further South you travel, the more impressive our romantic sandstone landscape becomes. Then, just when you thought you’d seen it all, prepare yourself for Wadi Rum, the great desert once travelled by Lawrence of Arabia himself. This is where our descriptive talents run dry – we can only say ‘seeing is believing’ and guide you round the awesome monuments of nature and civilisation that have put their stamp on this area. Let the rolling sands seduce you, by jeep or on horseback.

Need to wash that red dust off your face? Head for Aqaba on the gulf of the Red Sea, once a strategic location on the caravan route between Arabia, Syria, Egypt and Palestine and now a thriving centre for business and leisure activities, water sports in particular – so pack your swimming gear!

Of kings and philosophers

Since the beginning of time, man has chosen to make a show of his power by building in stone, and the desert castles and palaces of the 8^th Century Ummayad Caliphs are no exception. Prepare to be amazed by ancient hunting lodges and bathing houses – in the middle of the desert!

What about seats of learning? The mightiness of Emperor Trojan is reflected in the city of Gadara (now Umm Qais) and mentioned by the Roman geographer Strabo as a centre for poets and philosophers. The Decapolis city of Pella is another vestige of the Roman empire and can be enjoyed for its largely unexcavated condition. Should you have further need to observe the creative muscle of the past, visit Shoubak, where Baldwin I built the Mons Regalis fortress in 1115.

Salt of the earth

Aren’t we forgetting something? No, we’re just saving the best till last. The Dead sea area of Jordan is perhaps one of our most well-known regions and quite rightly deserves its reputation as a spa mecca. Sea salt scrub anyone?

Talking of salt, Lot’s Cave near Safi is a fascinating spot for anyone interested in the infamous Sodom and Gomorrah and the associated tales of Lot, whose disobedient wife is still with us, albeit in sodium chloride formation. 

But we’re not quite finished. Some of you will be saying: That all sounds great but I want something different, something… 

Amman

A sprawling city spread over 19 hills, or "jebels". Amman is the modern, as well as the ancient capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Known as Rabbath-Ammon during the Iron Age and later as Philadelphia, the ancient city that was once part of the Decapolis league, now boasts a population of around 1.5 million. Often referred to as the white city due to its low size canvas of stone houses, Amman offers a variety of historical sites. Towering above Amman, the site of the earliest fortifications is now subject to numerous excavations which have revealed remains from the Neolithic period as well as from the Hellenestic and late Roman to Arab Islamic Ages. The site which is known as the Citadel includes many structures such as the Temple of Hercules, the Omayyad Palace and the Byzantine Church. At the foot of the Citadel lies the 6000 seat Roman Theatre which is a deep-sided bowl carved into the hill and still used for cultural events. Another newly restored theatre is the 500-seat Odeon which is used for concerts. The three museums found in the area offer a glimpse of history and culture, they are the Jordan Archaeological Museum, The Folklore Museum and the Museum of Popular Tradition.

Madaba

The trip south from Amman along the 5,000-year-old Kings Highway is one of the most memorable journeys in the Holy Land, passing through a string of ancient sites. The first city to encounter is Madaba, “the City of Mosaics ". The city, best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, is home to the famous 6th century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. With two million pieces of colored stone, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta. Other mosaic masterpieces found in the Church of the Virgin and the Apostles and the Archaeological Museum, depict a rampant profusion of flowers and plants, birds and fish, animals and exotic beasts, as well as scenes from mythology and everyday pursuits of hunting, fishing and farming. Literally, hundreds of other mosaics from the 5th through the 7th centuries are scattered throughout Madaba's churches and home.

Petra

The ancient city of Petra is one of Jordan's national treasures and by far its best known tourist attraction. Located approximately three hours south of Amman, Petra is the legacy of the Nabataens, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe. Much of Petra's appeal comes from its spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge. The site is accessed by walking through a kilometre long chasm (or siq), the walls of which soar 200 metres upwards. Petra's most famous monument, the Treasury, appears dramatically at the end of the siq. Used in the final sequence of the film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", the towering facade of the Treasury is only one of myriad archaeological wonders to be explored at Petra. Various walks and climbs reveal literally hundreds of buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, colonnaded streets and haunting rock drawings - as well as a 3000 seat open air theatre , a gigantic first century Monastery and a modern archeological museum, all of which can be explored at leisure. A modest shrine commemorating the death of Aaron, brother of Moses, was built in the 13th century by the Mamluke Sultan, high atop mount Aaron in the Sharah ran.

Jerash

A close second to Petra on the list of favorite  destinations in Jordan, the ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. 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. Beneath its external Graeco - Roman veneer, Jerash also preserves a subtle blend of east and west. Its architecture, religion and languages reflect a process by which two powerful cultures meshed and coexisted, The Graeco - Roman world of the Mediterranean basin and the ancient traditions of the Arab Orient .

Aqaba

Famed for its preserved coral reefs and unique sea life, this Red Sea port city was, in ancient times, the main port for shipments from the Red Sea to the Far East. The Mameluk Fort, one of the main historical land marks of Aqaba, rebuilt by the Mameluks in the sixteenth century. Square in shape and flanked by semicircular towers, the fort is marked with various inscriptions marking the latter period of the Islamic dynasty. The current excavations at the ancient site of early Islamic town Ayla with its two main streets intersecting in the middle dates back to the 7th Century already revealed a gate and city wall along with towers, buildings and a mosque. The museum houses a collection of artifacts collected in the region, including pottery and coins. Aqaba also hosts the house of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, the great grandfather of King Abdullah II. Other places of interest include the mud brick building thought to be the earliest church in the region.

Desert Castles

 Jordan's desert castles, beautiful examples of both early Islamic art and architecture, stand testament to a fascinating era in the country's rich history. Their fine mosaics, frescoes, stone and stucco carvings and illustrations, inspired by the best in Persian and Graeco - Roman traditions, tell countless stories of the life as it was during the eighth century. Called castles because of their imposing stature, the desert complexes actually served various purposes as caravan stations, agriculture and trade centres, resort pavilions and outposts that helped distant rulers forge ties with local bedouins. Several of these preserved compounds, all of which are clustered to the east and south of Amman, can be visited on one - or two - day loops from the city.

Qusair Amra, one of the best preserved monuments, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its interior walls and ceilings are covered with lively frescoes, and two of the rooms are paved with colorful mosaics.

Qasr Mushatta, Qasr al - Kharrana, Qasr at -Tuba and Qasr al - Hallabat have been restored and are all in excellent condition. The black basalt fort at Azraq, in continuous use since Late Roman times, was the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt

Crusader Castles

For those fascinated by the Crusader Legends and Lore, a second group of castles beckons. The scenic Kings Highway is littered with the remains of Crusaders forts and outposts. The most important among these are Karak and Shobak - fascinating examples of architectural and military traditions of the time. Their galleries, towers, chapels and ramparts still echo with the resolve of the Crusaders who built them almost a thousand years ago.

Ajloun

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Ajloun Castle (also known as Qal'at [Castle] ar-Rabad) was built in 1184 by 'Izz ad-Din Usama bin Munqidh, a general of Saladin, who defeated the Crusaders in 1187. A fine example of Islamic architecture, the fortress dominated a wide stretch of the northern Jordan Valley and passages to it. From its hilltop position, Ajloun Castle protected the communication routes between south Jordan and Syria, and was one of a chain of forts, which lit beacons at night to pass signals from the Euphrates as far as Cairo. Today, Ajloun Castle is a splendid sight with a fascinating warren of towers, chambers, galleries and staircases to explore, while its hilltop position offers stunning views of the Jordan Valle.

Karak

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The fort itself is a dark maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways. The best preserved are underground, and to be reached through a massive door (ask at the ticket office). The castle in itself is more imposing than beautiful, though it is all the more impressive as an example of the Crusaders' architectural military genius. Karak's most famous occupant was Reynald de Chatillon, whose reputation for treachery, betrayal and brutality is unsurpassed. When Baldwin II died, his son, a 13-year-old leper, sued for peace with Saladin. The Leper King, however, died without an heir, and in stepped Reynald, who succeeded in winning the hand of Stephanie, the wealthy widow of Karak's assassinated regent. He promptly broke the truce with Saladin, who returned with a huge army, ready for war. Reynald and King Guy of Jerusalem led the Crusader forces and suffered a massive defeat. Reynald was taken prisoner and beheaded by Saladin himself, marking the beginning of the decline in Crusader fortunes. The castle was enlarged with a new west wing added by the Ayyubids and Mameluk.

Shobak

A lonely reminder of former Crusader glory is Shobak Castle, less than an hour north of Petra. Once called "Mont Real", Shobak dates from the same turbulent period as Karak. It is perched on the side of a mountain, with a grand sweep of fruit trees below. The castle's exterior is impressive, with a forbidding gate and encircling triple wall. Despite the precautions of its builder, the fortress fell to Saladin only 75 years after it was raised. Inscriptions by his proud successors appear on the castle wall

Umm Qays

In addition to Jerash and Amman, Gadara (now Umm Qays) and Pella (Tabqat Fahl) were once Decapolis cities, and each has unique appeal. Perched on a splendid hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee, Umm Qays 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 outlines of what was a massive hippodrome.