Guia completo de viagem para a Jordânia - viagem de carro de 6 dias

[Fernando Paiotti]

A seguir, compartilho o roteiro que criei quando visitei a Jordânia em janeiro de 2023. Ao todo, foram 6 dias viajando de carro pelo país. Cheguei por Amman e saí por Aqaba, entrando a pé em Israel por lá, em Eilat.
Espero que gostem! Deixem seus comentários!

 

 

JORDÂNIA

I.                 Breve história da Jordânia

Quando os nabateus migraram para a Jordânia, eles desenvolveram um rico reino baseado nas rotas comerciais da região. A famosa Petra foi sua capital até que veio o domínio romano. Nesta época, a Jordânia continuou a florescer e o cristianismo se espalhou, no entanto, no século VII, a Jordânia foi conquistada pelos muçulmanos e se tornou parte do mundo islâmico. Ela manteve seu papel tradicional de rota comercial, entre outras áreas, mas passou ainda por influência turca, russa e inglesa.

 

II.               Jordan Pass

Trata-se de um passe que você pode comprar previamente pela internet, no site oficial, e que te isenta da taxa de visto e inclui visita a mais de 40 atrações em todo o país, incluindo a entrada para Petra. Após a compra, basta imprimir comprovante e apresentá-lo no guichê da imigração ao chegar. Após comprar pelo site, você recebe um código em PDF, que deve ser apresentado logo na entrada das atrações para ter o acesso liberado sem precisar pagar. Outra coisa legal é que ele vale por 12 meses a partir da data da compra. No entanto, uma vez que é feita a primeira leitura do código, você pode usá-lo por mais 2 semanas apenas. 

 

1.     Quanto custa o Jordan Pass

Varia de acordo com o número de dias que você pretende visitar Petra (1, 2 ou 3 dias, respectivamente).

·       Jordan Wanderer JOD 70 = U$99.

·       Jordan Explorer JOD  75 = U$106.

·       Jordan Expert JOD 80 = U$113.

 

2.     O que está incluído no Jordan Pass

·       Visto para a Jordânia (só para quem fica no mínimo 3 noites no país);

·       Entrada pré-paga em mais de 40 atrações na Jordânia: Jerash, Castelo de Amã, Wadi Rum, Cidadela de Amã, entre outros. Lista completa aqui.

·       Guia digital com todas as atrações turísticas da Jordânia;

·       Entrada para Petra

 

Visto

Importante: imprescindível ter em mãos o certificado internacional de vacinação contra a febre amarela e um passaporte com validade mínima de seis meses e que tenha pelo menos quatro folhas em branco.

 

III.           Qual é a melhor época para visitar a Jordânia

A paisagem da Jordânia é em sua maior parte bem desértica. Com isso, o clima é quase sempre seco, de extremo calor e sol nos meses de verão, e de temperaturas muito baixas no inverno. O verão por lá acontece entre junho e agosto, com as temperaturas bem altas, chegando facilmente aos 40°C. Já o outro extremo, o inverno, acontece de dezembro a fevereiro, quando os índices de chuva aumentam um pouco e os termômetros chegam a graus negativos com bastante frequência.

 Dica: a melhor época para visitar Petra é entre os meses de abril/maio e setembro/outubro. Abril: dias quentes e ensolarados (25-30°C) com brisas frescas agradáveis à noite (15-22°C).

 

IV.           Informações úteis

Voltagem

A voltagem é 220 V e o padrão da tomada é o tipo C, com dois furos redondos, igual era no Brasil antes.

 

Chip celular

Para não depender de conexões Wi-Fi, compre um chip internacional na Jordânia. São 3 grandes operadoras: Zain, Orange E UMNIAH. Destas, a mais popular é a Zain, que vende tanto no aeroporto de Aqaba quanto no de Amã, além das lojas pelas cidades. Os planos custam a partir de 5 JD.

Comidas típicas da Jordânia

·         Homus: pasta de grão de bico

·         Ka’ik: pãozinho coberto com semente de gergelim

·         Falafel: bolinho de grão de bico

·         Kebab: churrasco servido em espetinhos

·         Mansaf: carne de cordeiro cozida, considerado prato nacional

·         Kanafeh: doce à base de macarrão

·         Baklava: massa folhada com nozes e mel

O que vestir na Jordânia?

Como na maioria dos países do Oriente Médio, a vestimenta local da Jordânia é mais conservadora do que a típica vestimenta ocidental. Contudo, o país está acostumado a receber turistas e não há um código de vestimenta para ocidentais.

Qual é a língua da Jordânia?

Os jordanianos falam árabe, mas o inglês é amplamente falado em áreas turísticas.

 

V.              Qual é a moeda da Jordânia?

A moeda da Jordânia é o dinar jordaniano e é fácil de encontrar caixas eletrônicos ou casas de câmbio em Amã e outros destinos turísticos. Além de cartão de crédito, leve dólares ou euros para trocar. É sempre bom ter dinheiro em espécie pois alguns lugares não aceitam cartão.

Quanto custa uma viagem à Jordânia?

A Jordânia não é um destino de viagem muito barato e os preços podem variar muito. Campings e hotéis mais acessíveis são cerca de JOD 40 a JOD 50 por noite (para 2 pessoas), enquanto um hotel mais legal custa em torno de JOD 150 a JOD 200 por noite. Uma excursão de jipe em Wadi Rum custará JOD 20-30 por pessoa. Quanto à alimentação, uma refeição legal (para 2) em um local turístico custará cerca de JOD 15-30. Se você preferir algo mais em conta, é possível encontrar refeições por JOD 5.

Custo total de uma viagem de 8 dias na Jordânia - €1212

o    Alojamento = 435 € (média de 54€/noite) para dois

o    Comida = 266 € para dois

o    Transportes = 538 € para dois (inclui aluguel, gasolina e taxa para deixar o carro em Aqaba)

o    Visitas/Atividades = 391€ para dois

o    Seguro de Viagem Iati Estrela = 37 €/pessoa

o    Jordan Pass = 100€/pessoa para 2 dias (inclui o visto)

o    Cartão SIM com internet + recarga = 20€

 

VI.           Dirigindo na Jordânia

A Jordânia tem um território relativamente pequeno: são cerca de 90 mil km², podendo ser atravessado de norte a sul em 6h de estrada. 

 

1.     HOW TO RENT A CAR IN JORDAN

Renting a car in Jordan is super-easy. To be honest, we landed in Amman at 12:30 PM and around 1 PM we were leaving the airport in our rental car to Madaba.

 

A.      DOCUMENTS

To rent a car in Jordan, you only need your driver's license and passport. It is not necessary to arrange an international driver's license. The clerk will copy the documents, and you will be asked for your credit card to provide the company with a guarantee.

 

B.       DEPOSIT

The rental company will block a deposit, between 250 - 300 USD (depends on the car), and they will release the money right after you return the car. Make sure that it is possible to take a deposit from your credit card.

C.       CERTIFICATE OF ROADWORTHINESS

Then, you will get car keys, certificate of roadworthiness (this small white card is super-important as almost all police check on the road wanted to see it), and you are ready to go.

 

D.      SPEED LIMITS

Speed limits in the urban areas are 50-60 km/h, 80-90 km/h in rural areas and 100-120 km/h on highways. It is always essential to watch the signage or use GPS. Even if it can be tempting to drive faster, follow the rules. It is easy to be stopped by police and pay a hefty fine.

 

E.       SIGNAGE

Signs along the road are usually in both English and Arabic, so you will be always able to read it. If the road sign is in Arabic only, it most likely marks a local spot without any significance to travelers. All the tourist attractions are marked in English.Said that, some villages and towns are also marked only in Arabic, so you need to pay attention and slow down. You do not need to buy a highway sticker, there is no fee for using roads in Jordan.Most of the drivers drive slowly.

 

2.     IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE IN JORDAN?

We found driving in Jordan safe. Well, at least safer than we had expected. The culture here in the Middle East is different, and it can be seen also when it comes to driving, but that's nothing you could not adapt to in only one day. The first few hours behind the wheel in Jordan were a bit hectic, but once we got used to that we must pay attention to animals crossing the road, super-slow drivers, speeding drivers, multiple cars in one lane, speed bumps, or drivers in an opposite direction, we were fine. In the beginning, we had a feeling that we must learn one important rule, that there are no rules, but later, we really enjoyed driving in Jordan, especially in its rural parts. Driving in Amman is absolutely different though because of the heavy traffic, but that's nothing you could not manage. The positive information is that locals in Jordan drive pretty slow, so almost always you have enough time to think through your next move. It is good to know that locals usually do not use indicators when changing direction or when changing the lane, so always be extra careful. Rule number one is to be all the time aware of your surroundings, expect unexpected, and follow the rules.

 

3.     POLICE CHECKS IN JORDAN

Police checks and checkpoints in Jordan are quite common, but it is nothing you should be worried about. We are not sure how is the corruption in Jordan, but we had not experienced any issues when driving. We were stopped by police once on King's Highway, it was already after dark, and we were only a couple of kilometers away the Lost City of Petra, but police checks are more common near the borders with Israel. We were stopped by police several times on Jordan Valley Highway, especially on the stretch between Aqaba and the Dead Sea. Often it was enough to slow down, and once the officer saw we are tourists, he let us pass. A few times we had to show a passport altogether with vehicle registration, and only once we had to open our car trunk. It is important to say that Jordan is surrounded by countries with a somehow questionable safety reputation, so you should not see police checks as a botheration, but as a sign that the police do everything they can to protect travelers and locals.

 

4.     GAS STATIONS

Gas stations in Jordan are plentiful, so you never have to be worried that you will run out of petrol. Of course, it is always better to have a full tank before you set off for a road trip and on days you know you will be driving a lot. Gas is not somehow super-cheap, but also not overpriced, you will pay between 0.7 - 0.85 JD/L. You usually can’t fill the gas in the tank yourself, just wait for the attendant, and tell him that you want either full tank or give him in advance a banknote which you wish to pay with. There are plenty of gas stations along the main roads.

 

5.     ROAD CONDITIONS IN JORDAN

The main roads connecting the northern part of the country with south, such as Desert Highway, King' Highway, and Jordan Valley Highway are mostly in good condition and not dangerous.

 

A.      POTHOLES

Watch out for potholes, especially on King's Highway because even though it is called a highway, it is rather a normal road dotted with many small settlements. The most potholed road where we did not find driving very comfortable (it was also enhanced by the unpleasant weather) was Azraq Highway alias road number 40, which we drove as we wanted to visit Desert Castles.

 

B.       SPEED BUMPS

Not the potholes but speed bumps were the most annoying things on driving in Jordan. Speed bumps are literally everywhere, not only in the villages but also on the roads before junctions where drivers can pick up speed, so you need to be super careful and always have eyes on the road. In the worst-case scenario speed bumps in Jordan can break down your rental car, and it is for sure something you do not want to deal with on your vacation. Most of the speed bumps are signposted by a yellow color and a road sign, but some of them are not, and it is often very hard to recognize an obstacle on the road until it is too late. They are mostly to be found in the villages. What we found helpful, especially after dark, was to drive behind a local, so we always could see the driver slow down.

 

C.       LANES

Most of the regular roads have only two lanes, while highways have two lanes in each direction. But you might be surprised how many cars can actually fit into one lane. Be always ready that a random car can join your lane and that an overtaking car in the opposite direction might use your lane, probably expecting you will drive in a ditch for a while.

 

D. PEDESTRIANS

Yeah, and it is also good to know that people can freely walk on the side of the highways, and sometimes they are not scared to cross the road without looking around even though you are going at a high speed. And that's not just people, but stock as well.

 

6.     DRIVING AT NIGHT

We drove in Jordan a couple of times after dark, and it was completely fine, the only problem was that speed bumps were harder to spot, and also locals have mounted extra front lights on their cars, which can often blind you for a while. It is for sure much better to drive in the country during the day.

 

7.     DRIVING IN AMMAN

Amman is the biggest city in Jordan, and driving here is different than in the rest of the country. The traffic here is heavy, especially early in the morning and later in the afternoon when people are returning from work and the sound of honking is perpetual. The rule number one for driving in Amman is to know where you are headed and do not be distracted by other drivers who are not exactly following the road rules. Driving in Amman is basically the same as driving in any other large city, the only thing is that you do not know the directions, so turn on your GPS and follow the instructions closely. The streets in the city center are often narrow and one-way, so it is essential not to get lost otherwise it would take you a long time to get back on track.

 

VII.        O que visitar?

 

1.     Amã

A cidade tem dois lados: enquanto o lado ocidental tem uma estrutura mais moderna, com lojas, restaurantes e cafés com estilo mais contemporâneo, o lado oriental tem as tradições muçulmanas mais preservadas. Por lá, os costumes árabes são bem mais fortes e os pontos turísticos também são mais ligados à história do país. Entre alguns locais turísticos para conhecer em Amã, vale incluir: a Cidadela de Amã, a Mesquita do Rei Abdullah e o antigo anfiteatro. Para quem gosta de desbravar os destinos por conta própria, vale a pena caminhar despretensiosamente pelas ruas para conhecer as lojinhas locais.

VISIT SOUK AL-SUKAR

Watermelon piles and apricot towers. Supersized pomegranates, dates, pistachios and fresh daily bread. Live poultry and pigeons proffered from cardboard boxes. Tailors and seamers smoking cigarettes by their sewing machines and patched up suits. Tired eyes and caffeine fixes. Spice mountains and spectacles. Polystyrene packs of strawberries. Shafts of light cutting through rainbow coloured and grease-stained tarpaulin, and notes of coffee, tobacco, fish, and sugary snacks through narrow aisles. Young boys pushing trolleys, woofing and whistling at tourists, veiled women buying from the exclusively men literally manning the stalls, and old boys shuffling through in keffiyeh.

The market crosses several interconnecting streets and buildings, expands and contracts according to the day and the hour, and you should absolutely head here at least once for a wander, twice to see what you missed.

·         The souk area starts opposite the ruins of the Roman Nymphaeum and continuing to Betra Street.

·         Some stalls are open from early in the morning, but its starts getting busiest from around 10/11h. It remains open until the evening, when the fluorescent lights give it a very different atmosphere.

A short walk from here is Al Malek Faisal Street, which is sort of the main vein of ‘downtown’ for visitors, where you will find shops selling all manner of perfumes, gold, souvenirs, and ornate, brightly coloured glad rags. It’s also home to several other popular things to do in Amman.

 

STREET ART SURPRISES

The works here go beyond tags or spray can doodles though, with several-storeys high murals covering the side of beige buildings across the city as well as clever little pieces in unexpected places.

The Baladk Street Art Festival, started by a local theatre in 2013, underpins the scale and scope of street art in Amman. Each April/May, it brings together artists, organisations and the community to celebrate the form and promote the socio-cultural benefits of art, as well as enable the commission of bold new murals.

Beyond an appreciation of the works themselves, and the colour they add to Amman’s relatively uniform palette, the contemporary urban art you can see here is an important shorthand to show that a visit to Jordan isn’t all about desert landscapes, pink rock cities, and the past. There are other stories to be heard here, and paint and a blank wall is expression for anything from an armada of little paper boats to bold convention-challenging portraits.

There are two great interactive maps pinpointing street art in Amman: Jordan Street Art and The Amman Street Art Documentation Project. You will see some as you naturally walk around the city, but it’s important to know that many of the best, newest, or most interesting pieces aren’t in neighbourhoods you’ll naturally visit over a stay of two or three days.

Therefore, a good option is to join one of the dedicated local-led street art walking tours by Underground Amman, which also doubles up to give different perspectives on the city and life in Jordan. Their downtown graffiti tour runs on Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays, whilst their Hashmi Street art tour in east Amman runs Tuesdays and Saturdays.

GO INSIDE KING ABDULLAH I MOSQUE

Although entry is not expressly forbidden by most schools of Islam, mosques in the Middle East are not considered as tourist attractions in the same way as churches and cathedrals are in Europe. There are several core reasons for this, but it's primarily due to stark differences in levels of religiosity in the societies, with mosques continuing to serve as a place of daily religious worship for multitudes in contrast to the sparsely attended and far less frequent, Christian services.

 

The beautiful King Abdullah I Mosque does things quite differently: tourists are not only welcomed within its white walls and under its magnificent sky-blue dome, but ticketed and timetabled. It’s the only mosque in Amman open to non-Muslims!

Completed in 1989, it was built by the late King Hussein to commemorate his grandfather King Abdullah I, the first of the family dynasty which still rules the country. A verse from the Koran - ''Allah is the light of the heavens and earth” - was a key concept behind the design, and the mosque is a an aesthetically pleasing exhibit of contemporary Islamic architecture. Clean lines and sharp angles, quasi-Brutalist minarets, and the Fabergé egg dome combine to make a visit here more than just about cross-cultural or inter-faith understanding.

·         Where | The mosque is in the Al-Abdali neighborhood of west Amman, next to two old churches. We would recommend jumping in a taxi from downtown (1-2 JD). The entrance for non-Muslims is best found by standing outside the Coptic church with the big Red Cross and crossing over from there, and you’ll be greeted by someone in a souvenir shop.

·         When | non-Muslim visitors can enter from 8h to 18h, seven days a week. However, you cannot enter from 90min before Friday prayers (the busiest day), or for the half hour afterward. Non-Muslims are also not permitted half an hour before/after each prayer time throughout the week. Prayer times change all the time, and occur 5 times a day, so our advice is simply do some internet research before you head off or simply arrive and ask; you can wait around or walk to the nearby Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Park before coming back after prayers.

·         Tickets |Entry is 2JD per person, cash only. You have to enter the souvenir shop first, then exit it to find the man to pay. You’ll then be directed to enter a small display centre with photos and city models, but you then need to exit this and go up the staircase to find the entrance to the main interior section of the mosque. You can also walk around the large courtyard.

·         Women must cover their heads, arms and legs to enter the mosque, and this is best done with the abayas provided for free in the gift shop. Even if you are dressed modestly, you will likely be provided one of these smocks as the hood allows hair to be covered and the shapeless shape is preferred in this environment.

VISIT THE ROMAN THEATRE

 

This is the sort of architecture one may expect to find in the centre of a place like Rome, Verona, or Lucca, rather than in a Middle Eastern capital. However, the hands of the Roman Empire stretched far, with its fingertips grasping Philadelphia. That original city of brotherly love, named after a Greek king of Egypt, was the southernmost of the Decapolis, an informal league of Roman-held strongholds in eastern Palestine.

Philadelphia would eventually become modern day Amman, but remnants of its time as a Roman stronghold two millennia ago form keystones above and below its hills.

Built in the 2nd century AD, this semi-circular Roman Theatre could seat around 6,000 and would have been used for theatre performances and spectacles. As is the case today, the front rows were for the important people, the middle rows for the slightly less important, and the vertiginous cheap seats up with the gods packed with everyone else. The stage faces south, the audience north, so that the former could be bathed in light and the latter shaded from the heat.

Relatively well intact, visitors are able to stroll and clamber quite freely up the steps, or to sit in the grooves and imagine the sights, sounds, and smells of a balmy evening of Roman entertainment. Take a moment to appreciate the architecture itself, all angles and curves, light and shade, coming together on the soft, smoothed out stone.

·         Where + When | You can find the Roman Theatre a flat and very manageable 10min walk from the Grand Husseini Mosque and downtown. It’s open from 8h-19h every day except Saturdays, when it closes at 17h. You need about 45min here, and we recommend arriving at least 1h before closing. There are still events and concerts held in the theatre, so these may affect opening hours or visitor experiences.

·         Entrance | Your ticket is included in the Jordan Pass, and you can also pop your head into the two small museums housed either side of the theatre: the Jordan Museum of Popular Tradition and the Jordan Folklore Museum. Without the pass, entry is 2JD.

·         Good To Know | The criss-crossed Hashemite Plaza borders the theatre, demarcated by a chopped forest boundary of colonnades, and is a focal point of the city for locals as the day goes on. There may be young boys kicking about a football in the morning, men smoking and chatting in the afternoon, and families strolling with sugary snacks bought from vendor carts in the late afternoon. It’s a good place to hang out and people watch, or to just sit for a while and take everything in.

EAT THE MOST FAMOUS FALAFELS IN JORDAN

These deep-fried chickpea balls are a Middle Eastern staple (as well the drunk late night street food of choice at Along Dusty Roads). Cheap, tasty, and served all over Jordan as a fast-food snack or part of a spread, there are two places in Amman which receive a lot of praise, and you should have some falafel at at least one of them.

·         AlQuds Falafel | On Rainbow Street, their little falafel sandwiches are quick, cheap, and damn tasty. It’s just a hole-in-the-wall takeaway, but there’s a table/bench across the road you can park up at. The sandwiches are less than 1JD each, so order two if you’re really hungry! Open 7h-23h, closed Fridays.

·         Hashem Restaurant Down Town | An Amman institution, this was the most popular suggestion from our Instagram followers (@alongdustyroads) when we asked for Jordan planning tips. With 17500+ Google Reviews, this no-frills place with no menu also features in every Amman guide. You simply turn up, find a table, and you’ll be brought a variety of plates with falafel, pitta, chips, salad, houmous, mouttabal, and some pickled things alongside tea and whatever drink you order.

·         Abu Ala | A short walk from Hashem’s and the main downtown thoroughfare, this non-touristic hole-in-the-wall by the paint and hardware shops was a random find when we were waiting around, but offers up excellent small falafel sandwiches to take away.

HEAD UP TO THE AMMAN CITADEL

Amman now sprawls up, down and across about twenty hills, but Jabal Al Qal’a has always been the most valued. One of the original seven hills which constituted the city in its infancy, the scattered stones, pillars, temples, and statue fragments upon its top trace the key moments in this long history of civilisation and occupation here.

Thought to have been settled as early as the Neolithic period, and fortified circa 1800 BC (!), the Assyrians, the Greeks, Babylonians, the Seleucids, and the Romans all ruled here at one point or another, leaving their mark on this open-air archaeological site on the hill.

The Temple of Hercules, completed by the Romans in 166 AD, is perhaps the most eye-catching of the ruins but we found the interior and blue-domed exterior of the Umayyad Gateway to be the most alluring. It would have formed the entrance to the Umayyad Palace, the site of power for the first Muslim dynasty who ruled Jordan from the 7th century AD. Beyond the historical and archaeological interest, the Amman Citadel is also one of the best view points in the city.

 

(Interesting fact: the Greeks changed the name from Rabbath-Ammon to Philadelphia, and the Arab Umayadds were the ones responsible for restoring its original moniker).

·         When | It’s open from 8h every day, but closing times vary according toe the season: 17:30 (Jan-March).

·         You should give yourself at least 90min for the Citadel itself, but factor in additional time for the walk up/down. As it involves quite a bit of walking in the open, avoid visiting during the peak afternoon sun. It will be quietest before 10h, but those heading up in the late afternoon will enjoy the best light for golden hour photos and views. Sunset’s obviously a popular time with locals, and the Citadel sort of functions like a city park for them to hang out.

·         Tickets | Entry is included in the Jordan Pass, but otherwise costs 3JD for foreign visitors, 0,25 JD for locals. The Citadel also houses the small Jordan Archaeological Museum, which is included in entry.

·         Good To Know | Just below the viewpoint we mentioned you pass by on your way to the Citadel, you’ll find a flight of stairs below a large piece of street art. If you’ve got time for a coffee with a view, we’d recommend following these down and stopping at the Amman Panorama Art Gallery. With a rotating selection of artists in residence - of varying degrees of expertise - it’s worth a short look around before heading up to their recently created rooftop for views out over the Roman Theatre. The Turkish coffee is priced for foreigners, but it was decent and just what we needed after a couple of hours at the Citadel.

A STROLL DOWN RAINBOW STREET

This is possibly Amman’s most famous street. Long and flat, with a variety of cafes, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops, it’s a popular place with families and young groups of friends. Teenagers take Instagram photos with a colourful backdrop, there’s an upgraded American school bus restaurant, and you can get burgers, waffles, and milkshakes. The appeal for locals and expats in the city is clear, especially for a bit of nightlife, but the thing for first-time visitors to Amman is that it may not be what you’re looking for.

It’s central and nearly a kilometre long, so encompasses or intersects with some of our favourite things to do in Amman. The western section was the part we weren’t fans of (though it has Al Quds falafel), but the eastern section is quieter and brings you close to several galleries and cafes.

We should also note that there were a couple of interesting antique / curio shops on the western section - very distinct from the mass-produced souvenir shops - and The Mid Coffee House has pretty good coffees, rather than just Turkish. Lastly, the weekly Souk Jara pop-up market takes place just off Rainbow Street on Fridays (10h- 22h), and that may make a difference to your experience of it.

 

2.   Jerash

 

A pouco menos de 50km (40 min) da capital, Jerash é um grande sítio arqueológico, com cerca de 1,5km de extensão da entrada do Centro de Visitantes até o Portão Sul, atração mais distante. Por isso, visitar todo o sítio arqueológico levará cerca de 2,5h. Pensando no deslocamento desde Amã, pode reservar meio dia ou um pouco mais para essa visita.

Chamada de Gerasa durante o período greco-romano, a cidade possui mais de 3000 anos de história e vestígios mostram que é ocupada por humanos há mais de 6500. Hoje, é a segunda atração turística mais popular do país, ficando atrás de Petra.

Jerash se tornou um centro urbano no século III a.C. Em 64 a.C, a cidade foi conquistada pelo Império Romano e foi justamente nesse século que ela cresceu e prosperou. Como estava localizada na rota de comércio da Península Árabe para a Síria, tornou-se um importante centro comercial. O imperador Adriano visitou-a em 130 d.C, e o arco na entrada, uma das construções mais bonitas de Jerash, foi construído para celebrar a sua visita.

Após a divisão do Império Romano, Jerash passou ao domínio do Império Romano do Oriente, posteriormente, Império Bizantino; nessa época a cidade perdeu importância. Após a conquista árabe da região, no século VII, passou a se chamar Jerash. Seu fim se deu durante as Cruzadas, em 1121: o Rei de Jerusalém, Baldwin II, destruiu-a completamente.

Nos últimos 2000 anos, Jerash sofreu com guerras e terremotos. Suas ruínas permaneceram praticamente enterradas por muitos e muitos anos, até serem redescobertas no século XIX, in 1806, by German explore Ulrich Jasper. Ali foram encontradas incríveis construções do Império Romano, como colunas, arcos, um hipódromo, templos (dedicados aos deuses Zeus e Artemis), um fórum, teatros, pontes, fontes e muito mais. Em 1925 o trabalho arqueológico começou e através de escavações a cidade foi redescoberta.

Surrounded by pine forests, rolling hills and valleys full of olive trees, the ancient city was particularly wealthy due to its fertile lands and permanent supply of fresh water. However, a huge earthquake in 749AD destroyed parts of the city and left the ruins buried for hundreds of years.

Once you’ve had your fill of archaeology and history, take in a bit of local nature. The Dibbeen Forest Reserve is set in 8.5km of pine-oak hills, and is a biodiversity hot spot. There are several rare orchids here, as well as 17 endangered species. You can hike, stop for a picnic or just drink in the incredible scenery. Animals include four types of bats, the Persian red squirrel, striped hyenas and grey wolves.

 

Weather in Jerash

Jerash has a varied climate. The colder months of November-March have lows of 5°C and highs of around 20°C, while the warmer months of June-September have lows of 18°C and highs of 32°C. It even receives the occasional snowfall during winter.  July-September are the driest months in Jerash, with December-February having a higher chance of rain. There is often between 30 and 50% humidity in Jerash, too.

 

Top Sights in Jerash

·      Hippodrome: construído em meados do século III d.C, era uma arena que tinha 245m de comprimento e 52 de largura e podia acomodar até 15000 espectadores. Nowadays, visitors can enjoy reenactments of activities from that era, including military drills, mock gladiator battles, and a chariot race. Performances run twice daily, except on Fridays.

·      Hadrian's Arch: it was built in 129AD to honor its namesake emperor; this impressive arch was meant to eventually be the city's southern gate.

 

·      Forum (The Oval Plaza): This enormous, oval-shaped plaza in the city center is stunning and the main attraction. Surrounded by 56 imposing Ionic columns, it was once used as a marketplace. O mais impressionante é ver o chão ainda pavimentado com as imensas pedras calcárias da época.

 

·      Temple of Artemis: An impressive place of worship, complete with sandstone pillars and vaulted ceilings, named for the patron goddess of the city.

·      Nymphaeum: One of the most beloved ruins of Jerash, this Roman-style ornamental fountain was carved to resemble seven lion heads. It is dedicated to nymphs, which is how it gets its name.

·      The South Theatre: foi construído durante o reinado do Imperador Domiciano, entre 90 e 92 dC, pode acomodar até 3000 espectadores em sua estrutura semicircular.

·      The North Theatre, which is smaller and was likely used for government meetings during ancient times. Foi construído em 165AD e era usado para apresentações, reuniões do conselho da cidade, etc. No 235 AD, o teatro dobrou de tamanho para sua capacidade, comportando 1600 espectadores.

·      Cardo Maximus: a principal avenida da cidade se estende por 800m ligando a Praça Oval até o Portão Norte. Incrivelmente ainda pavimentada pelas pedras originais, a avenida já naquela época possuía bueiros para a drenagem da água da chuva. Andar por entre as 500 colunas que alinham o trajeto dá uma sensação indescritível de viagem no tempo.

·      Agora: the ancient city’s main food market. It is positioned around a central fountain, and would have been an important part of everyday life.

·      Catedral: era na verdade um portal que foi esculpido a partir de um templo dedicado à Dionísio, no século IV, o templo foi reconstruído e se tornou uma igreja bizantina, conhecida atualmente como "Catedral", lá fica o santuário de Santa Maria, imagem pintada em homenagem a Maria e os arcanjos Gabriel e Miguel.

·      Jerash Archeology Museum: foi fundado em 1923 dentro de um dos cofres do pátio do Templo de Artemis. Em 1985, foi transferido e a primeira exposição especial foi intitulada "Jordan Through the Ages". O museu agora é dedicado exclusivamente às descobertas da região de Jerash e suas coleções abrangem os períodos arqueológicos da área, desde o período neolítico até o período mameluco. As exposições estão em ordem cronológica e abriga grandes coleções de cerâmica, vidro, metais e moedas, além de pedras preciosas, estátuas, objetos em pedra, mármore e mosaicos. No jardim do museu, inscrições monumentais gregas e latinas são exibidas ao lado de estátuas de mármore e sarcófagos de pedra. The museum is free to enter. It is open between 8h and 16h on winter.

·         Looking for a souvenir? Jerash has its own souk, or outdoor bazaar, at the entrance to the archeological park. Its offerings are pretty standard, but you'll encounter smaller crowds and possibly lower prices than at Petra.

No Centro de Visitantes, na entrada do sítio arqueológico, existem lojinhas vendendo artesanato, comida, bebida e há também serviço de banheiros. Lá dentro não se vende nada, por isso é bom já estar com a garrafinha de água cheia. Na verdade, nem banheiro há.

 

Where to Eat

Lebanese House is an elegant favorite for locals and travelers alike, located just a few minutes stroll away from the center of town. The menu is filled with well-executed international dishes and traditional fare like kibbeh nayyeh. If convenience is your priority, head to Jerash Rest House for a quick bite after getting your fill of the ruins. The buffet is passable, but its real draw is the location - its the only eatery located within the boundaries of the archeological park.

 

3.       Ajloun Castle

 

"Ajloun" is Semitic / Aramaic name from the root word "ajal", which refers to a round sloping place and can also mean a calf. Historic sources indicate that a 9th century BC Moabite king was named Ajloun. Byzantine era records also mention "Ajloun" in reference to a priest who resided is a monastery on the top of Mount 'Awf, which is where Ajloun Castle sits today.

Standing 1250m above sea level is Ajloun Castle, a 12th Century fortress that was built under the rule of the sultan and military leader Salahuddin AL Ayyoubi. The castle is set on top of Mount ‘Auf and provides visitors with astonishing views of the Jordan Valley and surrounding desert. Over the years the castle has undergone many rebuilds and although much of the original features no longer exist, there are many chambers, carvings, and towers to keep both adults and children interested.

The initial structure consisted of a compact nucleus stronghold with four main towers. Subsequent enlargements followed immediately with the addition of two more towers between 1184 and 1193 AD. Each of the three levels of the tower had a different function. The lower level was used as resting quarters for soldiers. The second level housed the mosque, with specially carved stone located in one of the windows. The third level of the tower was the palace.

Between 1193 and 1218, during the times of AL Malek AL Adel, the second stage of construction was completed with enlargements by the castle governor Aybak Bin Abdullah. He added and the seventh tower, which wraps around the southeast corner of the building.

Next to the castle entrance, the visitor centre has a ticket office, parking lot, small souvenir shop, and toilets. Occasionally there are local guides who offer their services in several languages, although information boards in English and Arabic could be found everywhere as well. A small museum containing pots and other artefacts from the various periods of the region is situated inside the castle, near the main gate.

1.1.           Location of Ajloun Castle

Ajloun Castle is situated right on top of Mount ‘Auf also known as Jabal Auf. The castle towers above the historic town of Ajloun and is only 20min from the Ajloun Forest Reserve – a beautifully conserved nature reserve with an array of wildlife. Ajloun Castle is approximately 50km from the city of Amman which takes around 1,5h by car. The city of Jerash is just a 40min journey away via a picturesque route of olive groves and woodland.

1.2.           History of Ajloun Castle

Ajloun Castle (or Ajlun; Arabic: Qala'at ar-Rabad, “the castle with the suburbs”) one of the great examples of Islamic military architecture safeguarded the routes between Damascus and the south of Jordan, secured the safety of pilgrim and trade caravans traveling to the Hejaz, and also protected nearby iron mining operations - key to the manufacture of weapons.

 

The castle was constructed between 1184-1188 by the nephew of the Muslim military leader Saladin and commander Izz al Din Osama, as part of a major military tactic to stop the expansion of Crusader territory in the region. Saladin fought against the Christian military during the Crusades in the 12th Century. The strategic location of the castle enabled Saladin’s army to look out across the Jordan Valley for invaders.

Later, under the reign of succeeding Mamluk governors, a new tower and gate were added, and the northeast tower was revamped when the castle was used as an administrative center. After damages from a Mongol attack, restorations were done during the reign of Sultan Thaher Baybars between 1259 and 1277 AD.

The castle was once only accessible via a drawbridge until 1214 when a new gate was built. Pigeons were used in order to transport messages to the army from the castle. Since the Crusades, the castle has undergone a number of invasions, rebuilds, and earthquakes which has left very few original 12th Century features.

1.3.           Things to Do at Ajloun Castle

Museum: The castle is home to a small museum which contains historical information about the castle and a number of artifacts. The museum contains a collection of mosaics and interesting medieval weaponry.

Views: Although the castle does not contain many original features from its role during the Crusades, it does boast magnificent views that cannot be compared with any other castle in Jordan. Climb one of the towers and you will reach the top of the castle. From here it is possible to see the rolling hills of the Jordan Valley as well as the desert that surrounds it. The views from the towers are spectacular and well worth the visit.

Olive Groves: To the side of the castle are many olive groves with picturesque walking trails. The olive groves are best visited in spring when they become adorned with wildflowers.

Ten Salah ed-Din soldiers are guarding the castle every day of the week. They are placed at the four different gate levels that the castle has. Two are on the roof where the yellow Mameluk is flying. Siege ladders leaning on the wall add to the war-like atmosphere. The structures, towers, chambers, galleries and staircases make Ajloun a very special destination.

Nearby is the Ajloun Nature Reserve, a 13km² protected area of outstanding beauty and diverse wildlife. Within the reserve are two nature trails and chalet-style accommodation. The reserve is managed and maintained by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

The trip to Ajloun takes a little less than 1,5h, and the trip from Ajloun to Jerash takes about 30min.

 

2.       Dead Sea

 

Visiting the Dead Sea in Jordan is pretty ideal year-round. Jordan’s weather tends to be nice year-round, with hot summer months, and more temperate winter months. In the middle of February it is around 20°C.

4 Interesting Facts About the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is one of the only salt lakes in the world that is accessible for swimming and the experience of floating in it’s salty water is enough reason to go. But there’s plenty more reasons, too. The sea and it’s surrounding landscape are surreal to see. At 423m below sea level – the lowest point on Earth, the region is mostly hot, barren desert. The sea is long, and not very wide, so from the Jordan side, you can see across to the West Bank.

1. The Dead Sea isn’t actually a sea. It’s a lake! To be considered a “sea” a body of water should connect to an ocean. The Dead Sea does not. It’s source is the Jordan River, making it landlocked. It’s this landlocked nature that causes water to quickly evaporate from the Dead Sea, leaving behind tons of salt.

2. The Dead Sea is super salty! It’s high concentration of salt makes it so dense that humans can float on top of it. The Dead Sea has an average salinity of 33.7%, which is about 10 times saltier than ordinary seawater.

3. Nothing can survive in the Dead Sea. But just because large organisms can’t survive the salt doesn’t mean microbes can’t. Scientists report that tiny communities of bacteria have been found at the bottom of this supposedly lifeless lake.

4. Unfortunately, the Dead Sea is shrinking fast. While experts say that it won’t dry up completely, right now, it’s surface level is dropping more than a metre every year. And it’s largely because of human practises that are unsustainable. Since the 1960s, some of the natural water sources that surround the Dead Sea have been diverted elsewhere, and so the sea hasn’t been able to replenish itself. Now, scientists are working hard to try to slow the sea’s shrinking, so that we can continue to enjoy it.

Should You go to a Dead Sea Resort or Public Beach?

When planning your visit to the Dead Sea, the first thing you’ll want to decide is whether you’d like to go to a Dead Sea resort, or a public beach. There are pros and cons to both choices, so let’s break them down.

 

Dead Sea resorts in Jordan

The north-eastern edge of the Dead Sea in Jordan is home to several resorts that cater to visitors who want to both relax and enjoy the salty sea. Every resort has its own stretch of private, well-maintained beach for easy access to the Dead Sea. For your dip, a resort will offer lounging space and chairs on the beach, freshwater showers, and Dead Sea mud for sale. Aside from these perks, the resorts have many other amenities as well, like fresh water pools, spa services, and restaurants.

 

How much does it cost to stay at a Dead Sea resort?

The prices for the Dead Sea resorts range between $60 and 300USD (or more) per night. It is also possible to buy a day pass to use the resort’s beach and amenities for accessing the Dead Sea. Day passes range in price as well, starting at about $60 USD and going up to around $100.

Dead Sea resorts in Jordan, for each budget

·         Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea: If you’ve got a larger budget (or just want to treat yourself!), this is one of the nicest resorts in the area. This hotel has top-of-the-line amenities and luxurious Dead Sea access.

·         Movenpick Resort and Spa: This one is in a mid-range budget. Based on reviews, this hotel is sparkling clean and has all the amenities you could possibly need, including a spa and gardens.

·         Ramada Resort: This is the most affordable resort in the area, but it still offers private access to the Dead Sea. Its offerings are more basic, but you still have the staples: a pool, and buffet eating.

Dead Sea public beaches

 

Visiting a public beach is what the locals do! The beaches are a little south of the resorts, and they are easily accessible off of the Dead Sea Highway. Public beaches are a super economical way to enjoy the Dead Sea in Jordan. The most common one is called Amman Touristic Beach, which is about 2km south of the Dead Sea resorts. This is the beach that the JETT coach busses drop tourists off at. Amman Touristic beach offers freshwater pools, Dead Sea mud, dressing rooms, and freshwater showers.

There are more beaches that offer swimming access as you drive south along the Dead Sea Highway. They aren’t all “official” beaches in the way that Amman Touristic beach is, but they’re perfectly fine to use nevertheless.

 

How much does access to the Dead Sea public beaches cost?

It costs 30USD to enter the Amman Touristic Beach – it is well worth the fee for access to the amenities that this beach offers. The other public beaches range from free to having small fees. The one we visited offered free access to the Dead Sea, but we paid a few dollars to take a freshwater shower afterwards. We also opted to hang out under an umbrella after our swim, where we enjoyed some hookah, a snack, and the incredible views.

Amman to the Dead Sea by car

If you’ve got a car, the drive from Amman to the Dead Sea is simple. You’ll head southwest out of Amman until you reach Route 65, also known as the Dead Sea Highway, or the King’s Highway. This ride takes roughly 1h, but can vary depending on which beach or resort you decide to go to.

Try putting your arms and legs down (it’s hard, they bounce back up!), and try floating both on your back and on your stomach. The weightless feeling is the closest you’ll get to feeling like you’re floating in space.

 

Aside from having fun, here are some practical tips for visiting the Dead Sea:

1. Only float in the Dead Sea 10-15min. Don’t stay in longer. The salt water irritates your skin, and after 15min it can start to sting. On that note – Don’t splash! Getting that salt water in your eyes will hurt a lot, and if you get it in your mouth, you’ll for sure gag.

2. Use vaseline to protect your skin. If you have any cuts or wounds, dab vaseline on them before going into the Dead Sea. The salt water will sting them, but vaseline is an easy and safe barrier. You’ll also want to avoid shaving anywhere on your body a couple days before swimming in the Dead Sea. If you shave the day of, or even the day prior, your skin will sting from the salt.

3. Take a fresh water shower immediately after swimming in the Dead Sea, and make sure you thoroughly rinse all of the salt off. It can become uncomfortable if you don’t get all the salt rinsed quickly. Rinse your swimsuit and shoes as well!

4. Bring water shoes or flip flops. Water shoes or flip flops are a good thing to bring because the salt rocks can be quite sharp.

5. Be careful with electronics, your phone or camera near the water, and make sure your hands are completely dry before touching any of your electronics. The salty water is toxic to them.

 

Free swimming in the dead sea

 

Because most of the time we are budget travelers, we decided to find a place where it is possible to swim in the Dead Sea for free. How hard it could be? Well, actually it is a bit harder than it could seem, but not a mission impossible.

The Dead Sea Highway leads on a high cliff, which is very picturesque, but there are actually not that many places where it is safe to descend to the sea. Especially when you take into account that the salt when dries out creates sharp formations, so it is not very comfortable to walk on it.

The only disadvantage when it comes to swimming in the Dead Sea for free in Jordan is, that there are no facilities. And because after the swimming it is essential to rub all the salt off your body, you need to buy water so you can take a natural shower.

We bought 10L of water (it’s better to buy a single 10L or two 5L water bottles in the store), which was enough for both of us. We were still a bit salty until the end of the day, but it was not uncomfortable.

And where is the best free swim place? It is only a few hundred meters away from the entrance to Wadi Mujib. There's a police checkpoint and a small parking lot (just a sandy area). Here you can park your car (of course for free). Use google maps and search for Dead Sea Free Swimming. Once you arrive there, you will find a dusty parking lot, and a small stall where you can buy water (it is better to have your own since the guy does not need to be there every day).

We packed only necessary stuff like water and a camera, put on flip-flops (sneakers would have been better because rocks are sharp), and we set off. Once you made it down, turn right, and follow the shoreline for maybe 100m There's a small natural pool, spring-fed with fresh water coming from the Ma'in Hot Springs. And yes, the water is still warm.

A narrow path led us down to the shore, where we left our daypack, and finally went for a swim. You might consider bringing water shoes, but we managed without them, though the entrance to the water here was really sharp. If you do not feel like swimming, go to the shore anyways, the salt creates wonderful salt formations, and it is really photogenic.

There's a small mud pit where the trail meets the shoreline. Or you dig some mud from the aforementioned hot water pool. After self-administering a full body mud-pack, leave it in place to bake in under the sun for 10-15 min and then wash it off in the sea or in the pool. Make sure to wash off all the mud and all the salt in the fresh water pool afterwards.

 

5.       Kerak/Karak Castle

 

The name of the castle comes from the town it was built in, al Karak - taken from ancient times when Arameans been here, in Aramaic word Kharkha means town. It was often called by the Crusaders and in history books as Karak of Moab. Israelites knew al Karak as Kerak.

It was one of the largest castles built by the Crusaders in the Middle East. Its commanding position, with its fortifications straddling across the hilltop, and strategic location on the main route from Jerusalem, assured Kerak's prominence in the Crusader's line of defense.

Jordan has three major Crusader castles (the other two are at Ajloun and Showbak), but Kerak is the best preserved, and its extensive fortifications are still an impressive sight. Today, it's the major tourist attraction along the King's Highway between Madaba and Petra.

 

5.1. History of Kerak Castle

Kerak's history dates back to at least to the Chalcolithic era. Straddling a hill upon an ancient trade route that is followed today by the King's Highway Road, has always made Kerak a prominent stronghold location for whoever wanted to gain and maintain control over the area. There has been some kind of defensive fortification here since at least the Iron Age, when it was part of the Kingdom of Moab.

The castle visitors see today, though, dates back to the 12th century and was built by the Crusaders, in 1142, as part of their line of defense, with castles built in strategic positions from Aqaba in the south up to modern-day Turkey in the north.

From Kerak, the Crusaders ran their administrative district of Oultre Jourdain. The castle's most infamous occupant during this period was Reynald of Chatillon who installed himself as Kerak's ruler in 1176 and became known for his gruesome practice of deposing of prisoners by throwing them over the castle walls.

Completely ignoring the truce in place between the Crusader king of Jerusalem and Saladin that had brought peace to the region, he used his strategic position to raid passing Arab caravans to build up his personal wealth. This eventually led to his downfall when Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt and Syria, laid siege to the castle, that survided, but later, during the Battle of Hattin in 1187, the victorious Saladin captured and killed Reynald. Afterwards, he returned to Kerak to again lay siege to the castle, that lasted a year. The castle's occupants resorted to eating dogs and horses before Reynald's widow finally surrendered the castle to Saladin in 1188.

Over the interceding years, various fortifications have been added and removed, destroyed and restored, with the dark, rough volcanic rock of the Crusader architecture existing mostly on the upper level, whilst later Arab additions are easily identifiable by the chalky white limestone elsewhere.

5.2. Exploring the Upper Court's Northern Section

After crossing the bridge over the dry moat, you enter Kerak through an Ottoman-era gate addition to arrive in the castle's Upper Court. There are panoramic views across the rolling hills of the surrounding countryside from various points along the battlements here. Much of this area of the castle, near the entrance, dates from its original Crusader origins. The northeast corner of the castle complex is home to a barrel-vaulted gallery, which would have functioned as stables. From here, you can access a series of cells that served as storehouses, a kitchen, and barrack accommodation for soldiers. The kitchen still has the grinding stones on display and a massive, easily distinguished oven area.

5.3. Exploring the Upper Court's Southern Section

In the southern section of the Upper Court, you'll find a Crusader church and various building additions dating from the later Mamluk era.

From the walls near the Crusader church, you get a great view of the castle's glacis (the vast, artificial slope that stretches down into the valley below, built to hinder attack).

 

The Mamluk Sultan Baibars began plenty of modification work on the castle, which was continued by later rulers. Today, you can see the remains of a Mamluk Palace and the defensive keep built to strengthen Kerak's defenses to guard against attacks from the south. The keep's walls are over 6m thick. Note the slit-shaped windows set into the walls for shooting arrows. From the keep, stairs lead to the Mamluk Palace, where there are various barrel-vaulted chambers and a mosque. The place is a late addition to the castle, built in the early 14th century.

Head back to the Crusader church from here, to access the underground dungeon with its barrel-vaulted galleries leading to prison cells.

4.4. Exploring the Lower Court

 

Most of the castle's above-ground Lower Court fortification architecture that you can see today dates from the Mamluk period, built atop the Crusader foundations.

The west gate and bastion in the southern section of wall were important defensive features for the castle. There is a small museum in a vaulted chamber here. Beneath the court are two long vaulted chambers that probably were originally used as barracks accommodation for the soldiers stationed here.

5.5. Kerak Tips

Local guides hang out at the castle entrance and are a worthy investment, as the castle's nooks and crannies can be confusing to navigate by yourself. If you do want to tour the castle independently, there are plentiful information boards placed throughout to help you understand the site and aid in navigation.

Bring a flashlight and wear decent walking or sport shoes. You may also want to bring along a sweater to throw on while you're exploring the underground sections. It can get chilly in the darker recesses of the castle. To view the castle fortifications in their entirety, head to Marj just out of Kerak town, where there's a good observation point alongside the road, which looks onto the castle's western side.

5.6. Parking and Scam!

Be aware of the scam, don’t park near restaurants unless you eat there. If you drive further from them, people still might come to you and insist that the parking is free only if you visit their restaurant. Don’t mind them, the actual places reserved for restaurant clients are the ones with chairs on them. The city is not that big, so just drive 50m further and you should be OK.

Avoid King’s Restaurant and King’s Castle Restaurant. Meals are overpriced, and you might even get something you didn’t order. If you must eat, go to Kir Herrs nearby, prices there are way more tolerable and has nice reviews on TripAdvisor. Portions are not the biggest, but the food is tasty. It will be enough for breakfast or brunch until you reach a bigger city with more places to choose from.

Segundo relato: upon arriving into the town, you will notice several official-looking blue signs pointing you toward what looks like the Castle’s car park (in addition to a young attendant or two on the road nearby to direct you to it). Unlike elsewhere in Jordan, and indeed all other major tourist sites in the country, this parking is not free - it is a private enterprise, separate to the castle, and costs 3 JD per vehicle for the duration of your stay. They market this as secure parking, with CCTV and toilet facilities. On Google Maps, the location even comes up as Karak Castle Parking, and they also have the incorrect listing next door for Karak Castle too - pretty smart...

Alternatively, free public parking can be found here, opposite Al-Fid'a Restaurant and near the Karak Plaza/Public Square. Do be aware however that the guys that work at the aforementioned restaurant will likely inform you that these are their parking spaces, allowing you to park for free only if you eat there before or after your visit.

Our experience, and reading reviews on Google Maps have shown that these guys can be a little heavy-handed with some tourists, so we recommend advising them that you’ll pop in for a drink when you’re done. Whether you do or not is absolutely up to you, but our two cans of soft drink were actually needed once we’d finished so we didn’t feel too taken advantage of - but it ended up about the same price as the private car park. We do however highly recommend that you don’t eat here though, as the reviews really are quite dreadful and the prices high.

Those are, as far as we know, the best two options for parking, and the castle is less than a one-minute walk away. Note that, though you will see cars parked there, you cannot park on the small road leading up to the castle.

Terceiro relato: “We drove uphill to the entrance, where we parked our car. The parking is free, and from here the official entrance is only two minutes' walk.”

5.7. Informações gerais

The town of Kerak, flowing down the hillside below the castle, is a busy market town. There is good signage to the castle if you're driving, but note that traffic through town can be horrendous. Come early if you can.

·         Working hours: Mo-Fr 8h-19h | Sa 8h-16h | Su 10h-17h.

·         Entrance fee: 2JOD for tourists, free if you have Jordan Pass.

·         Duração da visita: cerca de 2h.

6.       Shobak Castle

 

Shobak Castle is the name given to the ruins of a Crusader castle perched on a rocky hill in the modern town of Shobak (or Shoubak) in Jordan. The hill was formerly called Mons Realis, Royal Mountain, which gives the traveller an idea of the castle’s former might and majestic location.

The castle was built in 1115 by Baldwin I during his expedition in the region. He was the first king of the Crusader state of Jerusalem from 1100 to 1118, and played a key role in expanding the kingdom and establishing a form of rule that would serve as a model for the Franks in Syria and Palestine for 200 years.

The castle, named Krak de Montreal, was built after his capture of Aqaba and the Red Sea, to protect the southern area of his expanded kingdom. It overlooked the plateau of Edom, a fertile location, as well as the main passage from Egypt to Syria. A tunnel was built that would lead to spring-fed cisterns, allowing defenders to retrieve water without exposing themselves. At its peak, the fortress was home to 6000 people.

The castle remained a property of the Kingdom of Jerusalem until 1142, when it passed to the lordship of Transjordan (also called Oultrejordain, “beyond the Jordan [River]”), whose centre was Karak, a stronger fortress north of Krak de Montreal, that was then held by Philip de Milly, a baron of the kingdom, who used the strategic location to attack rich caravans, and had designs to attack Mecca. The Ayyubid sultan reacted to this by invading the kingdom in 1187 and besieging Montreal. In the XIII century, control passed to the Mamluks of Egypt, who restored the castle in the XIV.

Now little remains of the original castle, the most significant being the ruins of a curtain wall. It is on the King’s Highway, running from Aqaba to Amman. It is 30km from the ancient city of Petra, and around 150 from Wadi Rum.

Shobak Castle bears marks of its long history and occupation. Within the walls of Shobak Castle, you will find two reconstructed churches, and down 375 steps you’ll find the tunnels to the medieval cisterns. Along the eastern perimeter is the entrance to the court of Baldwin I, also partly reconstructed, and a Mamluk watchtower. You will also find carved inscriptions dating from the 14th century.

6.1. Things to See at Shobak Castle

 

·         Churches: there are two churches located in the castle ruins the first of which is close to the entrance. It was later reconstructed and contains a small baptistery. The second is located just past the watchtower and contains catacombs underneath. Within the church, there are also Islamic tablets, Christian carvings and Saladin’s throne.

·         Well and Spring: this ancient well is cut into a deep rock. There are 375 steps leading down to the bottom. Visitors can walk down this staircase which leads to a spring that feeds the area and surrounding villages.

·         Mamluk School: when the Mamluks overtook Shobak Castle they renovated one of the larger buildings into a school. Its remains sit within a two-story building located close to the well. Other notable buildings there include a prison, watchtowers and the royal court.

·         Opening Hours: Winter: 8h – 16h. Site Closing Hours: Winter: 17h.

 

7.       Petra, uma das Sete Maravilhas do Mundo Moderno

 

História de Petra

Petra é um destino fascinante, não só por sua beleza, mas também pela grandiosidade da sua história. Se hoje é uma das Sete Maravilhas do Mundo Moderno e patrimônio histórico da UNESCO, há muitos motivos que justificam o título da cidade.

‘Cidade rosa’, ‘cidade perdida’, ‘cidade de Moisés’, atende por diversos nomes, todos eles adequados aos seus mais de 2 mil anos de história, desde a fundação pelos Nabateus, um povo beduíno que governou parte da Jordânia. Vem das pedras vermelhas do deserto daquele país a alcunha de ‘cidade rosa’, já que seus prédios eram escavados nas rochas desta coloração. Bastião de caravanas que vinham ou iam para o Oriente, o lugar chegou a abrigar 30 mil pessoas em seu auge.

Uma delas foi Moisés, o personagem bíblico que passou parte de sua vida na Jordânia e por onde também morreu. Por causa dele, a cidade moderna onde hoje está localizado o sítio arqueológico de Petra se chama Wadi Musa, ou Vale de Moisés.

Sua história se iniciou a mais de 3000 anos atrás, mas foi em 312 a.C. que ela foi colonizada pelos nabateus, povo que implementou as construções em arenito. No meio dos cânions e das rochas rosadas, construíram suas casas, templos, teatros e túmulos. É por este motivo que Petra é também chamada de “a Cidade Rosa da Jordânia”. Ela foi importante rota comercial da seda, dos incensos e das especiarias. Devido à abundância de água e ao comércio desenvolvido pelos nabateus, o local funcionava como hospedagem de caravanas e local de abastecimento de suprimentos.

Os romanos conquistaram a cidade em 106 a. C., e fizeram deste território uma parte de sua província. Nos séculos II e III, Petra continuou a se desenvolver. No século VII, foi a vez de os muçulmanos ocuparem Petra.

 

Há ruínas de todos estes períodos espalhadas por seus 264 km². Com a chegada dos árabes e as mudanças territoriais que isso acarretou, a posição de Petra perdeu importância e a cidade entrou em declínio, sendo completamente abandonada depois que um forte terremoto a destruiu parcialmente no ano 363. Ninguém ouviu falar do lugar por centenas de anos, o que lhe deu o nome de ‘cidade perdida’. Até que, em 1812, foi reencontrada por um arqueólogo suíço chamado Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

 

Quantos dias em Petra

Petra se estende por quase 100 km² de vales e montanhas desérticas. Os arqueólogos descobriram apenas 15% da antiga Petra (cerca de 85%, ainda está no subsolo e intocada), mas, mesmo assim, ver Petra em um dia é muito corrido. Portanto, o ideal é separar 2 a 3 dias para explorar as ruínas, conhecer a história de cada lugar e tirar belíssimas fotos. 

 

Onde fica Petra

O sítio arqueológico de Petra está localizado numa cidadezinha no oeste da Jordânia chamada Wadi Musa. A cidade é simples, mas conta com uma boa rede hoteleira e diversos restaurantes e cafés.

 

O que fazer em Petra

Acorde bem cedo para chegar logo na abertura do sítio arqueológico (6h da manhã). Há diversos caminhos para você trilhar em Petra, com diferentes percursos que você pode escolher de acordo com a disponibilidade de tempo por lá. É possível fazer as trilhas a pé ou com o auxílio de jumentos e camelos que estão à disposição dos turistas, mas os animais não costumam ser bem tratados. Uma coisa é certa: leve bastante água e muita disposição! Levar alguns lanchinhos também é providencial.

 

1. Siq: o cânion

 

Visual bem conhecido de Petra, é o caminho sinuoso e estreito de cerca de 1,2km que leva até a cidade antiga. Chamado de Siq, é um cânion impressionante, por onde é possível ver inclusive os canais esculpidos na pedra que serviam para levar água até a cidade. O melhor horário para percorrê-lo é entre 7 e 8h, quando o sol ainda não bate na parte interna e o calor é suportável.

Ele não é só um caminho, mas uma atração em si. Não foi à toa que Indiana Jones esteve por lá no 3º filme da série: ‘Indiana Jones e a Última Cruzada’. As paredes de pedra vermelha se erguem a até 200m sobre a cabeça e, às vezes, formam passagens muito estreitas. Existem vários nichos esculpidos nas paredes do cânion em que os Nabateus adoravam seus deuses. Outra atração é o sistema de aquedutos, cavado nas paredes de pedra ao longo de 2km para o abastecimento de água local.

 

2. El Khazneh: o Tesouro

 

Este é, sem sombra de dúvidas, o local mais famoso da cidade. O Tesouro é uma grande escultura em pedra com 43m de altura e 30 de largura construída pelos nabateus há mais de 2000 anos. Tem esse nome porque um faraó teria escondido um tesouro lá dentro. Ao menos, assim diz a lenda, pois ele nunca foi encontrado. Por ser o ponto turístico mais famoso, quase sempre está cheio. Para tirar A foto, o ideal é acordar bem cedo e chegar antes de todos.

Muitas marcas de bala podem ser vistas no topo da fachada do Treasury. Os danos foram feitos por ladrões que buscavam o lendário tesouro. Como não alcançavam o topo, eles atiravam para destruir as esculturas e tentar localizá-lo. Também podem ser vistas esculpidas ninfas e outras figuras romanas, resultado da dominação de Petra por aquele império após a queda dos Nabateus. Já o interior do prédio é fechado à visitação.

 

3. Al-Madbah: Altar dos Sacrifícios

Existe uma trilha que leva ao topo do penhasco, chamada Al Kubtha, e proporciona uma incrível visão do Treasury lá embaixo. Ela tem muitos degraus e são necessários 45min para ir e outros 30 para voltar. Primeiro, ela leva a uma vista panorâmica da cidade. Depois, à esquerda da casa abandonada, o caminho é marcado por montinhos de pedra e termina em uma tenda. Nela, um habitante local montou um pequeno comércio onde oferece chá, café e sombra aos visitantes, além de vender água e refrigerantes.

 

 

A tumba do profeta Arão, um local sagrado para os muçulmanos, é conservada até hoje. Em homenagem a ele, anualmente, uma cabra é sacrificada, pois muitos peregrinos acreditam que ela carrega o espírito de Araão (irmão do Profeta Moisés). O Local do Sacrifício está localizado no topo de uma montanha em Petra. O início da caminhada para este local fica pouco antes do início do anfiteatro. São mais ou menos 800 degraus para se chegar lá.

 

4. Rua das Fachadas - Tumbas

 

As belíssimas fachadas de Petra são, em sua grande maioria, tumbas. Cerca de 500 resistiram ao tempo porque eram escavadas diretamente na rocha vermelha, enquanto os outros prédios da cidade ruíram com os terremotos e o consequente abandono da cidade. Existe uma sequência de belas tumbas reais conhecidas como Urn Tomb, Corinthian Tomb e Palace Tomb que merecem uma boa visita. Há ainda uma que exibe obeliscos em sua fachada, influência da cultura egípcia.

Embora sejam estonteantes, pouco há para ver dentro delas. Nas poucas abertas à visitação, é possível ver apenas algumas divisões em salas e nichos nas paredes. A beleza fica por conta das cores. Devido à ação da água e do tempo, a coloração das paredes internas ganhou inúmeros tons. Algumas parecem pintadas pelo homem, mas é tudo natural.

 

5. Teatro

 

Após a rua das Fachadas, não deixe de fazer uma boa pausa para observar o incrível Teatro de arena, que também foi esculpido em pedra. Para se ter uma noção da grandiosidade desse monumento, ele foi tem mais de 2000 anos e a capacidade original era de comportar 3000 pessoas. Após a chegada dos romanos, a construção aumentou ainda mais seu tamanho, chegando a 8000 lugares!

No fim do vale onde fica a parte romana, se ergue a famosa formação rochosa do camelo. Falando neles, em Petra, você pode passear de camelo ou apenas tirar fotos com eles. Ao contrário de outros países árabes, na Jordânia ninguém cobra por um retrato ao lado desse simpático animal.

 

6. Al-Deir:  o Monastério

Para chegar até o prédio, é preciso caminhar até o fim da cidade (2km além do Treasury) e, depois do restaurante, ainda encarar uma subida de 843 degraus talhada nas rochas. Contudo, o esforço é recompensado com um visual belíssimo e você poderá descansar em uma lanchonete com vista para o Monastério, com 48m de altura e 47 de largura.

Possivelmente, ele era um templo nabateu, que foi convertido em igreja quando o império romano se tornou cristão e bizantino. Assim como no Treasury, apenas a fachada pode ser visitada. Devido à distância, está quase sempre vazio no começo da manhã e, se for até lá nos primeiros horários, poderá tirar fotos com toda calma. Além disso, existe um restaurante em frente ao prédio.

Na sua origem, acredita-se que foi um túmulo erigido para o rei nabateu Obodas I. A semelhança com o Tesouro é notória, mas o Monastério ganha em grandeza. A extensão do átrio, outrora rodeado de colunas, sugere que o espaço era usado para cerimônias sagradas. O templo deve a designação atual às cruzes esculpidas no seu interior, prova da presença de cristãos na era bizantina.

 

7. Petra by Night

O Petra by Night é um dos passeios mais famosos para se fazer por lá. A proposta é andar pela cidade à luz de velas, indo até “O Tesouro” (por 2km). Este espetáculo acontece todas às segundas, quartas e quintas, a partir das 20h30 e dura cerca de 2h. O valor do ticket é de JD 17 e o ingresso pode ser comprado lá mesmo, no centro de turismo ou no seu hotel. De fato, a proposta é super bacana, mas afinal, o Petra by Night vale a pena?  Apesar de a ideia ser ótima, já que o lugar é incrível e à luz de velas fica ainda mais bonito, fica muito cheio, então você mal consegue ouvir a história e a música. E se você não for bastante preparado com tripé, câmera e outros gadgets de fotografia, esqueça as fotos. É bonito, mas pelo preço não vale a pena.

 

Principais trilhas de Petra

Ao chegar ao Centro de Visitantes de Petra, não se esqueça de pegar um mapa gratuito que eles oferecem em diversas línguas. Nele, você encontrará todas as trilhas e pontos de interesse, juntamente com informações a respeito de nível de dificuldade e duração de cada uma delas.

 

Dia 1: Roteiro Principal + Roteiro do Monastério

 

Main Trail (Roteiro principal)

Leva cerca de 4h. Sai do Centro de Visitantes passando por Siq, Tesouro, Teatro e por diversos outros atrativos principais. Com poucos aclives e declives, é uma trilha considerada de nível fácil.

 

Al-Deir Trail (Roteiro do Monastério)

Caso ainda tenha disposição, inclua na trilha principal as escadarias que levam até o monastério. Este caminho, chamado de Ad-Deir, leva cerca de 3h (ida e volta) e é bastante cansativo, porém o visual é bem legal. Além da incrível fachada esculpida em pedra, o passeio ainda leva a três mirantes que têm uma bela vista dos vales de Petra.

 

Dia 2: Roteiro dos Túmulos Reais + Altar dos Sacrifícios

 

Al-Khubtha Trail (Roteiro dos Túmulos Reais)

Começa atrás do Teatro e vai até o monte al-Khubtha. Além de passar pela fachada de túmulos, a trilha termina num ponto bem elevado, de onde se pode ter um super visual da cidade antiga. Considerada de nível difícil, separe 6h de caminhada.

 

High Place of Sacrifice Trail (Roteiro do Altar dos Sacrifícios)

Você vai se sentir como um explorador nesta trilha, que tem significativamente menos turistas do que as outras do local. Ao chegar ao Altar dos Sacrifícios, não volte pelo caminho de onde você veio, pois há outro caminho que o levará para a próxima trilha. O trajeto leva cerca de 4h e é bastante inclinado.

Horários

Abre sempre às 6h e fecha às 16h no inverno. Existem banheiros espalhados pelo trajeto. Não são muitos, mas estão identificados no mapa. Leve lenço umedecido ou papel higiênico, pois nem sempre há disponibilidade nos banheiros. 

Onde comer em Wadi Musa?

Se você for do estilo aventureiro e gosta de provar as comidas típicas locais, experimente o Mansaf e/ou o Gallaya. Restaurantes como o “My Mom’s Receipe”, “Red Cave” ou qualquer outro perto do portão principal de Petra servem esses pratos, que giram em torno de 12-16 JOD. Se preferir algo mais ocidental, há inúmeros estabelecimentos como o Pizza House, Petra Night International, Yummy Bites, etc. Uma pizza custa em média 8 JOD. Geralmente disponibilizam o cardápio nas portas.

 

8.       Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum é também chamado do Vale da Lua devido à paisagem lunar que o caracteriza. A palavra Wadi significa “vale” e pensa-se que Rum é uma derivação do aramaico com o significado de “alto”, “elevado”. O vale ergue-se a cerca de 900m acima do nível do mar e alguns destes rochedos maciços chegam a atingir os 1700m. É aqui que está o segundo pico mais alto do país: Jabal Rum, 1734m acima do nível do mar. Os caminhantes podem desfrutar da tranquilidade dos espaços vazios sem limites e explorar os canyons e nascentes de água para descobrir desenhos nas rochas de 4000 anos de idade e muitos outros tesouros espetaculares neste vasto deserto.

 

Casa tradicional dos beduínos (grupos nômades dos desertos árabes), Wadi Rum ganhou vida nos últimos anos com o turismo crescente. O local ficou famoso por ser cenário de diversos filmes, como “Perdido em Marte”, de 2015, “Rogue One: Uma História Star Wars”, de 2016 e “Lawrence da Arábia”, de 1962.

O Wadi Rum tornou-se um dos locais mais turísticos da Jordânia e as aventuras escritas de T.E. Lawrence, apelidado de Lawrence das Arábias, na I Guerra Mundial, fizeram com que se tornasse mais conhecido, existindo inúmeras referências na sua obra autobiográfica “Sete Pilares da Sabedoria”. Thomas Edward Lawrence foi um arqueólogo, militar, diplomata, agente secreto e escritor britânico (1888-1935) que se tornou conhecido pelo seu papel durante a Revolta Árabe de 1916-1918.

Apelidado de “Vale da Lua”, o deserto tem mesmo um quê de Marte. Além daquela paisagem árida de perder o fôlego, há diversos cantinhos surpreendentes e para conhecer Wadi Rum integralmente sugere-se ficar ao menos 2 noites hospedado.

O deserto tem paisagens de tirar o fôlego: areias em tom vermelho ocre, dramáticas montanhas de arenito e formações rochosas com arcos naturais.  Os tours são quase sempre organizados pelos beduínos e podem incluir acampamento por uma noite nas areias de Wadi Rum para ver o impressionante céu estrelado.

 

Onde fica e como chegar no deserto de Wadi Rum

O deserto de Wadi Rum está localizado no sul da Jordânia, próximo à fronteira da Arábia Saudita e de Israel. São apenas 70km de distância até Aqaba. Se você estiver de carro, é só deixá-lo no estacionamento (gratuito) da vila. Ali será também o ponto de encontro com a equipe do seu acampamento.

 

Wadi Rum: tour de 4×4 pelo deserto

A atividade principal em Wadi Rum é um passeio de jipe que dura de 2 a 8h. Eles seguem uma rota semelhante e visitam locais parecidos, portanto não haverá uma diferença muito grande entre os passeios oferecidos. O de dia inteiro é um pouco cansativo, mas podemos ver lugares deslumbrantes e muito diferentes uns dos outros. De mirantes incríveis a locais para praticar “ski bunda”, de cânions a fontes.

 

Tour de 2, 3 ou 5 horas

O que muita gente não presta atenção, e é de fundamental importância, é a quantidade de horas que durará o seu tour. O mais comum é o tour de 5h, que eles chamam de tour de dia inteiro. O de 3h é chamado de tour de meio dia. Não é muito comum, mas também são oferecidos tours de 2h. Esses horários são o total de tempo aproximado, incluído o deslocamento. O de 3 h dura apenas 2h30min.

No tour de 3h, você visita quatro atrações: Laurencia Spring, Kazali Canyon, Duna de Areia, Ponte Pequena e aprecia o pôr do sol. Já no tour de 5h, além de visitar esses quatro locais, ainda visita duas outras pontes maiores e mais dois pontos. Ou seja, você visita todos os principais pontos turísticos de Wadi Rum.

 

Dicas

·         Leve lanches, porque só estão incluídas as refeições principais.

·         O almoço que está incluído é bem simples (dois pães sírios, humus, pepino, tomate, banana, bolo, biscoito e suco). O tomate e o pepino não são limpos e não há torneira para lavar.

·         Em alguns tours está incluído água e em outros não. Se não estiver incluído, compre antes de iniciar o tour, porque no meio do parque não haverá lojas vendendo. Na Vila de Wadi Rum existem mercadinhos.

·         Não se esqueça do protetor solar, pois o tour no jeep é feito na caçamba de uma caminhonete e nem todas são cobertas.

·         Leve roupa de frio! Você está no deserto e pode fazer bastante frio durante noite, principalmente no inverno.

·         Winter, too, is the low season in Wadi Rum. Jordan experiences less rainfall. However, most of this rainfall is in the winter season. Daytime temperatures are in the range of 13-15°C. However, nights are freezing cold with temperatures in the range of 2 and 4°C.

Quais os melhores lugares em Wadi Rum na Jordânia?

·         Os sete pilares da sabedoria ou The Seven Pillars of Wisdow, são montanhas bem juntinhas que formam um grande paredão de pilares;

·         Lawrence Spring: the first stop, approximately 2km from the village. This place is important because of the water source running from the spring on the top of mountain. Marked by a water tank near the entrance of Wadi Shallalah, this spring is named for T.E. Lawrence - "Lawrence of Arabia" - who famously made the area his military base and home. The official name of the small spring is Ain Abu Aineh, and views are spectacular from the top. The spring is about 10km away from Visitors' Centre.

 

·         The sand dunes: Unlike the Sahara, the Wadi Rum desert landscape is not dominated by sand dunes. The Wadi Rum desert is made up of the ‘White Desert’ and the ‘Red Desert’, which is where the sand dunes are. It’s interesting to see how the landscape varies between the two.

·         Khazali Canyon: A long, narrow canyon known for the impressive number of ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock walls. The first 100 yards are accessible to all visitors; beyond that point, you'll need rock climbing skills (and gear). Nabatean, Thamudic and Islamic inscriptions cover Jebel Khazali's inner walls. Some of them are as ancient as 2000 years old. There are more than 25,000 petroglyphs in Wadi Rum, and this peak is home to some of the best petroglyphs in the region.

·         Jebel Khazali, uma das montanhas mais famosas, lá você vai encontrar várias marcas e pinturas rupestres nas rochas deixadas pelos povos antigos;

·         Little Bridge;

·         House of Lawrence: Supposedly the home of Lawrence of Arabia, this Nabatean structure has partly crumbled but is still an interesting stop. It is where he apparently kept weapons during the Great Arab Revolution. There’s a great tea stop here, cute kittens and a wonderful viewpoint from the adjacent rock face. The house is about 14km away from the Visitor's Centre. 

·         A Pedra Cogumelo;

·         Burdah Rock Bridge é uma ponte ou um arco de pedra, sem dúvidas este é um dos locais mais deslumbrantes para ver o pôr do sol no deserto. É vista de longe e para acessá-la é preciso escalar algumas horas num tour à parte (4-5h);

·         Barrah Canyon:  at 5km in length, this expansive canyon is a popular tour stop, perfect for a variety of activities: hiking, rock climbing, and camel tours to name a few.

·         Abu Khashaba Canyon: the canyon is named after Jebel Khashaba, the sandstone mountain it cuts through. Due to the canyon's narrowness, it is not possible to pass through it in a jeep. But it takes only 20min to pass through the canyon. This canyon is one of the few locations in the desert where you can see slow-growing desert trees native to the region.

·         Um Fruth Rock Bridge: is a massive natural formation that balances a single stone slab between two tall peaks. The views from the top make it worth climbing the bridge (15m). It is one of the most photographed places of Wadi Rum. You can expect to wait here for a while to climb and click photos unless you are visiting off-season.

·         O Templo Nabateno, são ruínas de um antigo templo do povo nabateu. It is known for its inscriptions dating back to the 2nd century BC and ruins of an old bath behind the temple considered to be the oldest in Jordan.

·         Al-Hasany quebra a ideia de que Wadi Rum é somente um deserto de rochas. As dunas de Al- Hasany são as favoritas para quem quer se aventurar em esportes como sandboarding. Many companies offer it for free along with the day tour package. If not, this will cost you around 15 - 20 JD separately for the sandboarding equipment.

·         Anfishiyyeh Inscriptions: located on the side of a mountain, this is an especially impressive collection of Thamudic and Nabataean petroglyphs, complete with ancient drawings of camel caravans.

·         Ride a camel: There are full-day long options that offer to explore the desert through a camel ride. You can also take a short camel ride as an add-on to your tour. These short tours for an 1-2h would cost you 20-30 JD. Opt for the short tours - the longer ones would slow you down (exploring the desert through a 4x4 is better any day), and sometimes riding a camel for long is uncomfortable.  If you are here in October/ November, you can witness the Sheikh Zayed Camel Race Festival in Wadi Rum. More than 500 camels participate in this race every year. If you are here during another time and interested in watching a camel race, ask your tour operator/guide for camel race events.

·         Take a Hot Air Balloon tour: is a great way of watching the sun rise over the landscape. These rides start early in the morning before the sun rises and take 1,5-2h. It will cost around 130JD/person.

 

Wadi Rum: quanto custa?

·         Taxa de entrada: JOD 5. Com o Jordan Pass é gratuita.

·         Tours e atividades: para um passeio de jipe pelo deserto as tarifas são baseadas no número de horas e são cobradas por pessoa ou por jipe. Espere pagar entre JOD 20-40 por pessoa por um passeio de jipe de meio dia. Já os passeios de camelo giram em torno de JOD 15 por pessoa por hora.

 

9.       Aqaba

The presence of freshwater springs rising just below Aqaba’s beaches has ensured almost continuous habitation of this bit of shore for thousands of years, though names have changed many times – from Biblical Elot to Aela, Ailana or Aila during the Roman and Islamic periods. The Arabic word aqaba means “alley”, and is a shortening of “Aqabat Aila”, referring to the narrow Wadi Yitm pass that was formerly the only route into the town through the mountains to the north.

AQABA’S HISTORIC SITES

Aqaba Fort

Aqaba Fort, also known as Aqaba Castle or Mamluk Castle, was built by crusaders in the 12th century. The fort has since then served multiple functions. It functioned as a caravanserai, an important rest stop, for pilgrims travelling to Mecca, a military fort, and an elite residence until it was largely destroyed in WWI. Today, you can walk inside the fort around the courtyard. The arched entryway is really interesting with a huge wooden doorway and beautiful Naskhi script wall inscriptions.

Ancient artefacts that were discovered here are housed in the nearby Archaeological Museum. The museum displays a collection of artifacts collected in Aqaba as well as items discovered near the town, including fragments of metallic glazed pottery from Samaria, pottery, coins and Chinese ceramics.

·         Location: Aqaba fort is located near the waterfront and city centre.

·         Hours: Sat–Thur: 8am-4pm, Fri: 10-16h.

·         Admission: 1JD - You can purchase a ticket at the nearby Archaeological Museum, but entry to both the fort and the museum are included with the Jordan Pass.

 

Ruins of Ayla

Ayla was the name of the ancient city of Aqaba which was a flourishing port during the Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid periods (7th-12th century). The ruins of Ayla (a few minutes walk northwest of Aqaba’s city centre, along the main waterfront road, and free to enter) were discovered and excavated in 1989. Today, you can wander around the remains of the city, its towers and gates, the ruins of the mosque, marketplace and other buildings. Artefacts from this site can be seen at the Archaeological Museum.

 

Ayla Ancient Church

A short walk from the ruins of Ayla are the ruins of an ancient church. The mud-brick complex is believed to represent the oldest church in the world. The foundations date back to the late 3rd or early 4th century, and the church was probably in use for about a century before an earthquake devastated the region. You can also see sections of the old city wall.

 

Visit the high flag

The flagpole in the Great Arab Revolt Plaza is 137m high and is the 2nd tallest free standing flag pole in the world. The flag flying is the Arab Revolt flag to celebrate the Arab uprising in 1916.

SHOPPING

Aqaba is a great place to shop for souvenirs and local products. You will find shops full of local herbs and spices, nuts, incense, jewellery, affordable clothing and beach essentials. One popular souvenir is a glass bottle of coloured sand with various designs. For most goods, prices are a little cheaper than the rest of Jordan, as Aqaba is a duty-free zone. The main shopping areas are around the hotels and streets near Princess Salma Park.

Souk by the Sea is an evening street market held every Friday and focused on promoting the handmade crafts and goods produced by the local community. The market features a large variety of handicrafts, authentic cuisine and live entertainment. Located on Nahdah Steert (next to Captian’s Hotel) in the centre of Aqaba, every Friday, from 6 pm to 11 pm (all year round).

Sempre útil dar uma olhada nos supermercados nos arredores. Em Aqaba existe um Carrefour (Amman Hwy diariamente das 6h00 às 0h00)! Uma salvação para você que cansou da comida local ou precisa de algo que esqueceu de trazer. Outra opção é o Humam Supermarket (Al Petra St; diariamente das 8h30 às 14h30 e das 16h às 00:00).

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK IN AQABA

There are several great restaurants in Aqaba’s centre city, which serve delicious traditional cuisine and fresh seafood. Khubza & Seneya Restaurant is a great choice for traditional Jordanian cuisine. Romero Restaurant offers a mix of Mediterranean and Italian with local seafood dishes and is located at the Royal Yacht Club.

If you’re looking for a quick meal and there are lots of local takeaways in the town centre that offer falafel, shawarma, burgers, and desserts. For Arabic pastries and sweets head to Abu Gharbia Sweets and Pistachio Sweets & Café.

Most of the beachfront resorts have great fine dining restaurants, call ahead for a reservation. For delicious seafood, try Red Sea Grill at the Movenpick Resort. For coffee lovers, I recommend V60 Specialty Coffee Roasters.

Abaixo, mais algumas sugestões:

·         Al Mohandes (At Tabari St): restaurante jordaniano tem falafel e húmus com chá de menta;

·         Baba Za’atar (As Sadah): pães e queijos locais e alguns sanduiches típicos;

·         Route 65 (As Sadah St) para hamburgueres;

·         Al Tarboosh Restaurant (Raghadan St) apesar do nome é uma padaria;

·         Fruit & Vegetable Souq (Raghadan St) o nome já diz tudo;

·         Hani Ali (Raghadan St) sorveteria mais conhecida da cidade;

·         Ali Baba Restaurant (Raghadan St) é um dos restaurantes jordanianos mais conhecidos da cidade;

·         Al Fardos Coffee Shop (Zahran St) é uma excelente casa de café em Aqaba.

 

VIII.    Cruzando a fronteira: Aqaba - Eilat

 

Getting from Aqaba to Eilat by Taxi

From Aqaba, visitors can take a taxi to the Wadi Araba border crossing in just over 10min. It’s easy to find a taxi and the journey will cost around 11JD (15.50USD), just be sure to negotiate a fee before getting into the taxi. Upon arrival at the Wadi Araba Crossing, you will need to pay crossing fees and taxes. (Note: this border has changed its rules on visas upon arrival so check before departure or secure a visa in your country of residence). From the Israeli side of the border, visitors can take a taxi from the border directly into the city center of Eilat which usually takes around 15min and costs 30-40 NIS (8.50-12USD).

 

How to Get from Aqaba to Eilat by Bus

Visitors can get from Aqaba straight to Eilat by shuttle bus. Shuttle buses run twice a day at 7:30 and 18h from most hotels in Aqaba and from Aqaba Airport. The journey from Aqaba to Eilat is around 25USD per person. The shuttle bus can take a while to get through to Israel depending on the number of people on board. The buses have a member of staff who will help with any queries, take tax fees and even pre-arrange visas if requested in advance. Shuttle buses can be booked. For those who do not want to wait in a group bus, private transfers can be selected to save time. The private transfers are highly affordable and are a better option for larger groups.

 

Best way to Get from Aqaba to Eilat

For those who are confident to travel independently, taking a taxi from Aqaba to Eilat is the quickest option. Both sides of the border are very close to Aqaba and Eilat making the journey fairly straightforward. Whether you opt for a taxi or a shuttle bus, the journey from Aqaba to Eilat will be smooth and hassle-free.

 

What are the fees/taxes to be paid at the Eilat Border?

·         Israeli Visa fee: Free

·         Israeli Departure Tax (to be paid by yourself): 105NIS (Israeli Shekels) or approximately $30USD. Can be paid in USD or NIS.

·         Jordanian Visa Fee: free with Jordan pass.

·         Jordanian Departure Tax (if not included in your tour package and where applicable): 10JD or approximately $15USD. Must be paid in JOD.

·         Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA)'s fees (if not included in your tour package and only applicable for stays of less than 2 nights or day trips): 20JOD or approximately $30USD (paid in JOD).

 

What are the operating hours of the Eilat Border crossing?

The Aqaba, or Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing is located between Eilat and the Jordanian city of Aqaba. The Crossing is open from Sunday to Thursday between 6h30 and 20h, and Friday and Saturday between 8h and 20h. It is closed on Yom Kippur and the first day of the Muslim New Year. When there is a time difference between Jordan and Israel (which can occur with the start/end of daylight savings) the border will operate according to Israel time. Please note that the border can be subject to closures at other times without or limited warning which are outside of our control.

 

What is the best way to get from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to Eilat Border?

·         Bus with Egged Bus Company: www.egged.co.il/HomePage.aspx. This is the cheapest option but takes 5–6h.

·         Private transfers are expensive in Israel. The private transfer from Tel Aviv to Eilat in a 4-seater passenger vehicle is $450USD. Please ask us about rates for other transfers and vehicles.

 

 

 

[D FABIANO]

@Fernando PaiottiO trânsito lá é maluco e sem lei como o do vizinho Egito?

E a fronteira?É fácil de passar ou revistam tudo o que leva?

[Fernando Paiotti]

Em 26/10/2024 em 10:27, D FABIANO disse:

@Fernando PaiottiO trânsito lá é maluco e sem lei como o do vizinho Egito?

E a fronteira?É fácil de passar ou revistam tudo o que leva?

opa, bom dia. 
não, muito melhor. as estradas são muito boas. Amann tem uns lugares meio ruins de circular com o carro por ter mais trânsito, mas nada de outro mundo. o resto do país é tranquilo. li que tinham muitas lombadas não sinalizadas, mas não percebi isso lá. nem radares de velocidade. raríssimos. 

na fronteira não revistaram nada da minha bagagem. só foi complicado de passar pois levei um chá de cadeira de 3h, sentado no sol. toda hora passavam por mim e ninguém dava satisfação. e meu passaporte lá retido. acredito que hackearam meu email e telefone. tudo por ter o carimbo do líbano, síria e egito no passaporte, o que deixei a mulher da alfândega horrorizada e incrédula por eu ter querido visitar esses países. mas entendo o lado dele. não foi à toa que 18 meses depois uma nova guerra começou na região

[D FABIANO]

Não entendi a última parte. Qual o motivo do espanto se são todos países arabes?

[Fernando Paiotti]

Em 28/10/2024 em 13:49, D FABIANO disse:

Não entendi a última parte. Qual o motivo do espanto se são todos países arabes?

Israel e esses países são inimigos. A israelense que fazia o controle de passaporte que ficou espantada. 

[D FABIANO]

Isso eu entendi, você conta no primeiro parágrafo que saiu de lá a Israel. Não entendi o porquê da israelense estranhar se até então, você só tinha andado por pais árabe.