Surprisingly little is known about the country of Jordan, and although Petra is undoubtedly its main tourist attraction, the capital, Amman, and its surroundings hold impressive archaeological treasures that remain relatively unknown and are a ‘must’ visit for those who love history and archaeological remains.
There are many sites of particular archaeological interest in Amman, including the Citadel, the King Abdullah I Mosque and the Archaeological Museum. But you can also find other important archaeological sites in the surrounding areas such as the Ajloun Castle, Jerash and Madaba, which are all nearby and worthy of a visit for anybody travelling in Jordan.
If you go to Jerash, which is part of the Decapolis league of cities, you’ll be surprised by the Temple of Artemis, the Arc de Triomphe, the Oval Forum, the Colonnade and the Cardo Maximus. And you’ll also have the chance to see one of the best-preserved cities in the Middle East.
A visit that will take you back in time to another place and culture, and although at first, it may appear like a desolate landscape, if you look closer you’ll see an enormous amount of ruins from different moments of the Roman Empire. It’s almost as if you travelled back to the first centuries of our era.
Ajloun Castle is equally impressive and offers spectacular views from the walls of this Muslim castle that dates back to the time of the Crusades in the 12th century.
This architectural wonder was destroyed by the Mongols and then later rebuilt by the Mamluks in the 13th century, leaving it as it stands today.
Amman was occupied by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Umayyads at one time or another, and all of them left a testimony to their culture. You could even say that in Amman, and more specifically in the Citadel, many empires have continuously developed there and later given way to others as it’s a land that has been inhabited and disputed since ancient times.
Visits to Amman usually include 2 days in the city to see the most interesting spots, but any visit to Jordan should also include a trip to the Dead Sea, Petra and the Wadi Rum desert, which shot to fame after Lawrence of Arabia and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade were filmed there.
As you can see, Jordan is home to some of the wonders of history that still remain to be discovered by some today, so make sure to check them out when visiting the area.
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