History and Culture

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 Hellenistic 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.
Also at the foot of the Citadel lies the 6000 seat Roman Theatre which is a deep-sided bowl carved into the hill and is still used for cultural events today.

A legacy of the Nabataens, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago, Petra was admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels.

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, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East.

Al Salt was an important settlement between the Jordan Valley and the desert. Its history as an important trading link between the eastern desert and the west, made it a significant location for the regions many rulers. The architecture of Al Salt encompasses splendid yellow sandstone buildings incorporating a variety of local and European styles.

Madaba is an ancient town of the Jordanian Plateau, which was resettled by Christian Arab tribes from the Karak region in 1880 A.D. It is now inhabited by Christians and Muslims alike. A great deal of antiquity has been found here, much of which can now be seen in its Museums and Archaeological sites.

Six tombs from different periods have been found hollowed out of the rock beneath the mosaic covered floor of the Moses Memorial Church at Mount Nebo. In the present presbytery you can see remnants of mosaics, the earliest of which is a panel with a braided cross. The Serpentine Cross, which stands just outside the sanctuary, is symbolic of the brass serpent taken by Moses into the desert and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.

The city is now mostly in ruins but still includes several buildings, as well as four churches and beautiful stone arches. The main attraction lies outside the city walls within the Church of St. Stephen, where a perfectly preserved mosaic floor laid down in 718 AD is found. The mosaics portray fifteen major cities of the Holy Land from both east and west of the River Jordan.

The 1^st century AD Roman-Jewish historian, Josephus, identifieds the awe-inspiring site of Machaerus (modern day Mukawir) as the palace/fort of Herod Antipas, who was the Roman appointed ruler of the region during the life of Jesus Christ. Upon Herod’s death, his son Herod Antipas inherited the fortress and it is from here that he ordered John the Baptist to be beheaded after Salome’s fateful dance of the seven veils.

The therapeutic water of the Dead Sea, combined with the valley’s fertile land and warm climate, have attracted people to live, hunt and farm in the area since the Stone Age. Over 200 archaeological sites have been discovered, and is believed to be many more.

An ancient Crusader stronghold, Karak sits 900m above sea level and lies inside the walls of the old city. The city today is home to around 170,000 people and continues to boast a number of restored 19th century Ottoman buildings the most dominant of which is undoubtedly the Karak Castle.

This Red Sea port city was, in ancient times, the main port for shipments from the Red Sea to the Far East. From as far back as five and a half thousand years ago Aqaba has played an important role in the economy of the region. It was a prime junction for land and sea routes from Asia, Africa and Europe, a role it still plays today.

The Ajlun area has a long history of human settlement, due to its Mediterranean climate, dense forests and fertile soil. This rich history reflected in the many archaeological ruins scattered in the woodlands and surrounding villages.

Close by this ancient settlement, evidence has been found of some of the world’s earliest camp sites and semi-permanent villages dating back 10,000 to 18,000 years to the Natufian and Kebaran periods. Together with excavated ruins from the Greco-Roman period, Pella offers visitors the opportunity to see the remains of a Chalcolithic settlement from the 4th millennium BC, evidence of Bronze and Iron Age walled cities, Byzantine churches, early Islamic residential quarters and a small medieval mosque.

Perched on a splendid hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee, Umm Qays is the site of Jesus’ miracle of the Gadarene swine.

Built during the Crusader times, the Shawbak castle appears as a natural extension of a dramatic hill. The location has provided the castle with a natural moat, through a system of valleys that surround the central hill from all directions. Shawbak castle’s exterior is impressive, with a forbidding gate and an 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 today on the castle walls.

Some of the Umayyad Castles include; Qasr Al-Hallabat, Qasr Al-Azraq, Qusayr Amra, Qasr Al-Kharaneh and Qasr Al-Mushatta.