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| Places to visit in
Jordan
Desert Castles Umm er-Rasas Crusader Castles Dana Desert Castles:
Umm-er-Rasas is a walled settlement which was used by early Christian monks as a retreat. Its main feature is a Byzantine tower 15 metres high. Archaeologists have unearthed the Church of St. Stephen whose remarkable floor of the Umayyad epoch is decorated with Jordanian, Palestinian and Egyptian city plans.
11 February 1918 “Rain came on, and soaked me,
and then it blew fine and freezing till I
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Desert castles are for those interested in
Islamic history and architecture. Here in the heart of the Jordanian desert many castles
and fortresses were built by the Umayyad Caliphs during the golden age of Islam in the 8th
century. Qasr Amra, a 
UNESCO heritage site, built purely
for pleasure, is famed for the zodiac dome of its baths with its walls and ceilings
covered with sensuous frescoes and its magnificent pavements of coloured mosaic. There are
many other castles like
Qasr Kharanah, Qasr Mshatta, the ruins of
Qasr Al-Hallabat, and the military post of Al-Azraq, aNabataean-Roman
fort of black basalt,which was the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Great
Arab Revolt in 1916.
Kerak, a 12th century medieval Crusader castle is imposing for its
massive size and awesome location on the rim of a plateau 1,036 metres above sea level. It
is a superb hilltop fortress whose galleries, towers, chapels and ramparts recall the
might of the Crusaders. Shobak (previously known as Montreal) Castle
was built by the Crusaders in the 12th century and is one of
Jordan’s most significant and impressive historical sites. Ajloun Castle, built in 1184, is an outstanding example of Islamic military
architecture.
cracked
in armour of white silk, like a theatre knight: or like a bridal cake hard iced.” As the
rain turns to snow Lawrence’s camel falls but he continues “...sounding the path in
front with my stick, or digging new passes when the drifts were deep... looking down
across the chess_board houses of Dana village into sunny Arabeh, fresh and green thousands
of feet below.” Seven Pillars of Wisdom T.E. Lawrence 1926This spectacular Wildlife
Reserve covers 300 square kilometres from 1,500m above sea level to 50m below and
overlooks the Syrian_African rift valley of Wadi Araba. Apart from its beautiful
landscape, the reserve is one of the few areas in Jordan where you can find such a great
variety of plants (over 500) and animals (over 300). Many of them come from very different
origins and climates, including the Mediterranean, Africa and the dry plains of Russia.
The Reserve is home to such rare species and specimens as the Nubian Ibex, the honey
badger, wild cats, wolves, and the desert gazelle, as well as juniper, carob and pistachio
trees. It also attracts many birds including eagles, buzzards, falcons, sunbirds,
bee-eaters and finches. Dana is a wonderful spot to go for a day trip or to camp overnight
and spend a few days hiking and trekking through beautiful valleys, discovering old copper
mines, or travelling by donkey, camel or jeep.