Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE DEAD SEA AND
THE NEGEV DESERT
• Float on the Dead Sea
• Waterfalls and wildlife at
Ein Gedi
• The legendary fortress
of Masada
Floating on the highly saline
waters of the
Dead Sea
(see
p197)
, reading a book, is
the oddest of sensations,
and one every visitor should
experience for themselves.
Most people choose to go
to Ein Gedi, where there is
a wide beach popular with
bathers, and showers to
remove the water's filmy
residue.
Ein Gedi
is also
home to a national park
(see
p196)
with lush vegetation,
twin gorges, waterfalls and
abundant wildlife. Further
south is
Masada
(see pp200-
201)
, a mountain-top fortress
constructed by King Herod
but famous for the Jewish
defenders who killed
themselves rather than be
captured by the Romans.
Bedouin guides lead their camels through Jordan's Wadi Rum
impressive ruins at
Jerash
(see pp210-11)
. This is one
of the best-preserved Roman
cities in the Middle East, with
an almost complete theatre
that is still used during the
annual Jerash Festival.
South of Amman, the town
of
Madaba
(see pp216-17)
is
worth visiting for its unique
Byzantine-era mosaic map.
However, the real reason
that most people visit Jordan
lies farther south still:
Petra
(see pp220-31)
. The legendary
“Rose City” is one of the
most spectacular of archaeo-
logical sites, and ranks along-
side the likes of India's Taj
Mahal and the Pyramids of
Egypt as one of the world's
must-see sights. It is possible
to see the highlights in one
day but there is so much
to see that Petra rewards
repeated visits. Make sure
to allow time for
Wadi Rum
(see pp232-4)
, with its wide
landscapes of red sands and
towering mountains of wind-
eroded sandstone.
a home to a magical array of
multi-hued marine life. This
is one of the world's top
diving locations, but a simple
snorkel and flippers can be
enough to experience this
aquatic wonderland. Several
resort towns provide beach-
front accommodation and
water-sport opportunities.
Another of Sinai's
attractions is
St Catherine's
Monastery
(see pp246-8)
,
where a community of
Orthodox monks has lived
in a walled compound since
the sixth century. Visitors are
allowed inside to visit parts
of the holy retreat.
Behind St Catherine's
rises
Mount Sinai
(see p249)
,
where, according to tradition,
Moses encountered the
“burning bush” and received
the Ten Commandments.
Modern-day pilgrims ascend
the 3,700 steps to the summit
to witness the sun rise over
the peaks of the peninsula.
The ancient mountain-top citadel
of Masada in the Judaean desert
THE RED SEA AND SINAI
WESTERN JORDAN
• Dive among magnificent
coral reefs
• Visit one of the world's
oldest monasteries
• Watch the sun rise over
the Sinai desert
• Romanruins at Jerash
• The rock-cut, secret city
of Petra
• Wadi Rum's desert
landscapes
The appeal for most visitors
to the Sinai lies not on the
land but in the dramatic
underwater landscapes of
the
Red Sea
(see pp240-1)
.
Here, vast coral reefs provide
Jordan's capital,
Amman
(see pp212-14)
, boasts some
Roman ruins of its own, but
it also makes a good base for
a day trip to the even more
Scuba divers wading out from the
beach on the Sinai coast
