PLACES TO VISIT WHILE IN
JORDAN
Amman
Amman (ancient Philadelphia), the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is one of the easiest cities in the region to enjoy the Middle East experience in. Amman is built on hills, or jabals, each of which more or less defines a neighborhood. The hills of Amman are an enchanting mixture of ancient and modern cultures. During its long history, Amman has been inhabited by several civilizations. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, yet it is a modern Arab city embracing an internationally and culturally diverse vision of the future. Houses, kabab stalls, and cafés are intermixed with lively markets, known in Arabic as souqs. The greatest charm of Amman however is found in the hospitality of its residents. Visitors to Amman and the rest of Jordan, for that matter, are continually received by a genuine warm welcome.
THE DEAD SEA
One of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the world, the Jordanian east coast of the Dead Sea has evolved into a major hub of religious, health, and wellness tourism in the region. The leading attraction at the Dead Sea is the warm, soothing, salty water itself – some ten times saltier than sea water, and rich in chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine and several others. The unusually warm, incredibly buoyant and mineral-rich waters have attracted visitors since ancient times, including King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. All of whom have luxuriated in the Dead Sea's rich, black, stimulating mud and floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up the water's healthy minerals along with the gently diffused rays of the Jordanian sun.
BAPTISM SITE
The Baptism Site “Bethany beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) is located in the Jordan Valley, north of the Dead Sea. The site contains two distinct archaeological areas, Tell el-Kharrar, also known as Jabal Mar Elias, and the area of the Churches of St. John the Baptist. “Bethany beyond the Jordan” is of immense religious significance to the majority of denominations of Christian faith, who have accepted this site as the location where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist. This reference encouraged generations of monks, hermits, pilgrims and priests to reside in and visit the site, and to leave behind testimonies of their devotion and religious activities, dating to between the 4th and the 15th century CE.