Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ing is clearly signposted off either the King's Highway or the Desert Highway (Umm ar-
Rasas lies halfway between the two).
A few minibuses go directly to Umm ar-Rasas via Nitil from the local bus station in
Madaba. Alternatively, catch anything going to Dhiban, and try arranging a taxi (if you
can find one) from there. It costs around JD10/18 one way/return, including waiting time.
Failing that you could try hitching, although the road to Umm ar-Rasas is not a busy one.
Wadi Mujib
Stretching across Jordan from the Desert Highway to the Dead Sea (covering a distance of
over 70km) is the vast Wadi Mujib, proudly known as the 'Grand Canyon of Jordan'.
Aside from being spectacular, it is also significant as the historic boundary between the
ancient Amorites (to the north) and the Moabites (to the south). Moses is also believed to
have walked through Wadi Mujib, when it was known as the Arnon Valley. The King's
Highway crosses the upper reaches of the wadi while the lower reaches fall within the
Mujib Biosphere Reserve (
Click here
)
- normally accessed from the Dead Sea Highway.
The canyon measures 1km deep and 4km wide, but it takes the King's Highway 18km
of road to switchback down one wall of the wadi, across the dam at the bottom and up the
other side. From the picturesque olive groves of the upper plateau, either side of the wadi,
there is no hint of the sublime upheaval that renders the land in two.
Travelling south,
Dhiban
is the last town you'll pass through before the descent into
Wadi Mujib. Once the powerful capital of an empire carved out by King Mesha in the 9th
century BC, Dhiban is where the Mesha Stele was discovered. There is nothing left of the
ancient city and it's hard to imagine this unexceptional little town had such an illustrious
past.
Even if you are not intending to make the crossing, it's worth travelling to the canyon
rim. Past Dhiban, the road descends after 3km to an awesome
lookout
over Wadi Mujib.
Some enterprising traders have set up a tea stall here and an assortment of fossils and min-
erals from the canyon walls are for sale. This is the easiest point on the road to stop and
absorb the view, take a photograph and turn around if you're heading back to Madaba
(there are no turning points after that until you reach the dam at the bottom).
Ariha
is the nearest village to the canyon rim on the southern side of Wadi Mujib, al-
though the village is about 2.5km off the main King's Highway.
