Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Romans built a
siege ramp
on the western side of the hill when taking the fort
from Jewish rebels in AD 72 and the remains are still visible.
The castle is about 2km past Mukawir village and easy to spot. If you don't feel in the
mood for a climb, it's worth coming this way just to see the hilltop fortress framed by sea
and sky beyond.
This is a great area for
hiking
, with plenty of shepherds' trails snaking around hilly
contours. One particularly worthwhile track leads steeply down the west side of the castle
hill from the top and along a ridge line towards the Dead Sea. The views are magnificent,
particularly at sunset.
It's also possible to follow the shepherds' trails (or the 4WD road) to the hot springs at
Hammamat Ma'in. You must exercise extreme caution if taking any of these trails as the
terrain falls steeply away and many paths are only for the sure-footed. Women are advised
not to hike alone.
You can arrange with a private tour operator to hike from Mukawir to Zara/Herodus
Hot Springs, a hard three- to four-hour trek. See
Click here
for a list of recommended hik-
ing agencies.
Shopping
In Mukawir village, by the side of the road leading to the castle, is a weaving centre and
gallery. This women's cooperative is run by the Bani Hamida Centre and the gorgeous,
colourful kilims and cushions are on sale in the attached
gallery
( 3210155;
www.jordanriver.jo
;
8am-3pm Sun-Thu)
. An elaborate 100x50cm kilim costs around
JD75 and prices are fixed. The women who run the centre speak little English, but wel-
come you to the workshop. There's also a display video explaining the work of the co-
operative. For an excellent anthropological perspective on the Bani Hamida story, it's
worth picking up a copy of
A Bedouin Perspective
(JD5) by Sue Jones, who worked with
the Jebel Bani Hamida women in the early 1990s. This booklet is on sale in the show-
room.
