A land of treasure and calm
Countries in conflict almost completely surround Jordan, but this kingdom is a blissful contrast to the turmoil around it, writes Craig Platt.
The Middle East has been a hotspot of global conflict for hundreds of years. The birthplace of three of the world’s major religions, the home of some of the world’s largest oil reserves, and the drawing and redrawing of national boundaries through colonisation and conflict are just some of the reasons the region has such a history of violence.
And there is plenty of tension there right now, yet one country in the heart of it all remains blissfully peaceful and safe – and is enjoying a boom in tourist numbers.
Jordan has Israel to its west, Syria and Iraq to its north, and Saudi Arabia to its east. Yet the kingdom remains an oasis of calm.
In March, a record 433,640 tourists visited the country, visiting the ruins of Petra, the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, the preserved Roman works of Jerash, and the healing waters of the Dead Sea.
That’s a big turnaround from a few years ago, when tourism plummeted after conflict broke out in Syria and Isis began to overrun Iraq.
Jordan recently received another publicity boost after Prince William visited the kingdom. His wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, spent three years living in Jordan as a child while her father was based in the capital, Amman, working for British Airways. Prince William visited the ruins in Jerash, where Kate was famously photographed during her time in the country.
New Zealand may not have Britain’s historic ties to Jordan (the country was a British protectorate until 1946) but it’s an easy destination for us to reach, with Amman just three hours’ flight from Etihad’s nearby hub in Abu Dhabi.
So it’s time to put Jordan on your bucket list. If you haven’t yet been, here are five highlights you are missing out on. Rum, that this is where The Martian was filmed. A huge sandy desert peppered with jagged peaks, it was the perfect location for Matt Damon’s role as an astronaut stranded on Mars. But there is more to Wadi Rum than its spectacular landscape. The region is still home to Bedouin tribes who have resided in the region for thousands of years, and it’s now on the Unesco World Heritage list.
It’s also the land where T E Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, led the locals in the World War I-era Arab uprising against the Ottoman Empire. The Bedouin armies were able to escape into this desolate landscape using their knowledge of hidden water sources to go where their enemies couldn’t follow. Remnants of Lawrence’s time can still be found, including a carving of his likeness into the rock near one of the Bedouin camps. Visitors can explore the region by jeep, hiking or even camel. See wadirum.jo. Sweimeh is right on the shoreline, and has a private bathing area and pontoon for guests. The ruins of Jerash are far less mysterious than those in Petra, but no less impressive. The city of 50,000 people is home to some of the best Roman ruins outside Italy. The city’s origins go back 6500 years, its Roman ruins have slowly been getting excavated over the past 70 years – work that is still continuing.
There are colonnaded, paved streets visitors can walk, ruins of a chariot circus, and an exceptionally well-preserved amphitheatre that features some interesting acoustic design (that local busking bagpipers take full advantage of).
Jerash can be visited in a day trip from Amman, including some other nearby highlights such as Ajloun Castle, a former crusader fort.