Jordan's Archaeological Wonders
Jordan's landscape serves as a vast open-air museum, spanning the Early Bronze Age at Bab edh-Dhra to the 8th-century Umayyad desert castles like Quseir Amra and Qasr Mshatta. This collection highlights the Nabataean architectural mastery found in the rock-cut tombs and temples of Petra and Little Petra, alongside the Greco-Roman urban planning of the Cardo Maximus. From the Thamudic inscriptions in Wadi Rum to the medieval ruins of Ayla, these sites preserve the legacies of successive civilizations along ancient trade routes.
A Wadi Rum Protected Area
Wadi Rum, known also as the Valley of the Moon, is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern Jordan 60 km to the east of…
B Little Petra
Also known as Siq al-Barid, this Nabataean site served as a trading suburb for Petra. It features rock-cut temples, triclinia, and rare surviving 1st-century frescoes depicting vines and birds within its narrow canyon walls.
C The Theater
Petra Theater is a first century AD Nabataean theatre situated 600 m from the centre of Petra.
D Quseir Amra
Qusayr 'Amra or Quseir Amra, lit. "small qasr of 'Amra", sometimes also named Qasr Amra, is the best-known of the desert castles located in…
E The Street of Facades
This path leads to the center of the ancient city and is surrounded by carved tombs. Tall tombs belong to the rich and short to the poor.
F Colonnaded Street (Cardo Maximus)
Although the former main street is badly damaged, it is partially preserved. Its remains are about half a kilometre long.
G Triclinium
An ancient Nabataean dining hall used for ritual banquets. Carved directly into the sandstone, the chamber features three benches where mourners or celebrants would recline during funerary feasts or religious ceremonies.
H Lion Monument
A fountain in the shape of a lion carved into sandstone. Unfortunately the head is missing now, but you can see where the water once flowed.
I High Place of Sacrifice
Open-air altar carved out by the Nabataeans. You can even climb to the top of the mountain or take a donkey, but careful, the path is steep!
J Garden Temple
Probably a water cistern with a chamber for the person who managed it. It provided water for those who headed to the High Place of Sacrifice.
K Bab edh-Dhra
Bab edh-Dhra is the site of an Early Bronze Age city located near the Dead Sea, on the south bank of Wadi Kerak with dates in the EB IB, EB…
Bab al-Siq Triclinium - Obelisk Tomb
A two-story monument featuring four pyramidal obelisks representing the deceased. The lower level contains a triclinium used for commemorative feasts, showcasing a fusion of Nabataean, Egyptian, and classical architectural styles.
M Qasr Mshatta
Qasr Mushatta is the ruin of an Umayyad winter palace, probably commissioned by Caliph Al-Walid II during his brief reign.
N Lawrence House
Built upon the remains of a Nabataean water cistern, this site is traditionally associated with T.E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt. The stone structure offers views of the red sand dunes and nearby Thamudic inscriptions.
O Ayla
Aqaba is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba.
Anfishieh Inscriptions
A large rock face in Wadi Rum covered in ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions. These carvings, dating to the Thamudic and Nabataean periods, depict camel caravans, hunters, and desert wildlife, documenting centuries of nomadic life.
Q Qasr Tuba
Qasr Tuba is an 8th-century Umayyad qasr or castle in the Amman Governorate of northern Jordan.
R Khirbet et-Tannur
Khirbet et-Tannur is an ancient Nabataean temple situated on top of Jebel Tannur, in today's Jordan.
Sela
Sela may refer to:
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