Jordan the Holy Land
Many places named in the Bible today are located in Jordan. To name a few: along the 6.000 years old King’s Highway you travel through the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab and Edom. From Mount Nebo you can see the Dead Sea, Jerusalem and Jericho, just like Moses did when he first caught a glimpse of the Holy Land. Near the river Jordan you will find Bethany, the place where John the Baptist lived and to which Jesus fled for safety after being threatened with stoning in Jerusalem. During the Byzantine Empire, which reigned from 330 to 640 AD, Jordan’s population increased and was apparently prosperous. The most common religion in those days was that of the early Christians. Throughout the country there are still a lot of archaeological remains to be found. The famous Byzantine mosaics even now are very impressive. Mosaics were made in private homes, but nowadays it’s mostly churches which are open for visiting. During your trip you will visit Madaba and see the masterpiece: the 6th century map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Other places with Byzantine sights you will visit are Jerash and Umm Qais.


For most of its history since independence from British administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradually political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a formal peace treaty with Israel.


Historical Sites
jordan also was the battleground of the crusades. When the Arabs attacked the holy places of the Byzantines, the crusaders came to their aid. Along the King’s Highway you visit the castles of Karak and Shobak, both strategically built on top of a mountain. Even if you only want to admire the view it’s worth visiting the castles. It was in Karak where Saladin and Richard Lionheart fought their battles.After the Byzantine period Islam became the most common religion in Jordan. The empire of the famous Umayyad dynasty reached from Central Asia to Spain.The Umayyad built the Alhambra in Granada, the Mezquita in Cordoba and the famous mosques in Damascus and Aleppo. In Jordan they built several palaces, mainly in the eastern desert, which in those days was far greener than nowadays and was used as hunting ground. Jordan, the historical and cultural legacy The history of Jordan dates back long time. Jordan was inhabited by people as early as the Stone Age. It has undergone influences of the Persians, the Nabateans, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Mamluks and the Ottomans. During the beginning of the 20th century the Arab tribes fought for their independence. After the battle, in which the well-known Lawrence of Arabia played an important role, finally in 1921 Britain recognized Transjordan as an independent state. After the Second World War Britain gave up its mandate on Transjordan and Jordan became the independent Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The most beautiful witnesses of this rich history are Petra and Jerash.