Once an important trading centre of the Roman Empire and straddling the ancient Holy Land of the world's three great monotheistic religions, go just about anywhere in Jordan and you will find every stone bares a tale and those of Madaba's legendary mosaics tell more tales than most. Stand on Mount Nebo, consecrated by Pope John II, and survey the land promised of Moses; unwrap a scarf or two at Mukawir, where Salome cast a spell over men in perpetuity, or float in the Dead Sea, beside a pillar of salt, reputed to be Lot's disobedient wife.
Petra, the jewel in the crown of Jordan's antiquities, has been declared by popular ballot one of the 'new' Seven Wonders of the World. The magnificent rock-hewn city of the Nabateans hardly needed further billing (since Jean Louis Burckhardt rediscovered it in the 19th century, it has been a favourite destination for Europeans) but at sunset on a winter's day, when the rose-pink city catches alight, it's easy to see why it has charmed a new generation of visitors.
Not to be outdone by Petra's success, Wadi Rum, that epic landscape of Lawrence and Lean - 'Arabs' man' and moviemaker - is a contender as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Two such weighty accolades would be entirely disproportionate to the minimal size of Jordan.
With so much history wrapped up in this tiny desert kingdom, it is easy to overlook the modern face of Jordan, something the king is trying to address in ambitious developments at Aqaba and along the Dead Sea. In the meantime, the Bedouin still herd their sheep across an unchanged landscape in living continuity with the ancient past.
To view properties for North Africa & Arabia in our Luxury Brochure please use the following link: http://www.baileyrobinson.com/libraries/document/100994.pdf
For more information on where to visit in North Africa & Arabia please use the following link: http://www.baileyrobinson.com/libraries/document/101003.pdf
