JORDAN: Discover The Destination For Spiritual Enrichment

Jordan is an ideal destination for those seeking cultural knowledge and spiritual enrichment. Visitors can walk through the valleys, hills and plains that become part of human history by virtue of the simple deeds and profound messages of prophets who walked the land and crossed its rivers during their lives. Read on to discover some of the most renowned religious sites across Jordan.

Bethany Beyond the Jordan

The site of John the Baptist's settlement at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, has long been known from the Bible (John 1:28 and 10:40) and from the Byzantine and medieval texts.

Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo became a place of pilgrimage for early Christians from Jerusalem and a small church was built there in the 4th century to commemorate the end of Moses' life. Some of the stones from that church remain in their original place in the wall around the apse area.

Anjara

It is believed that Jesus Christ, his disciples, and the Virgin Mary, passed through Anjara once and rested in a cave there during a journey between the Sea of Galilee, the Decapolis cities, Bethany Beyond the Jordan and Jerusalem.

Mukawir

The 1st century AD Roman-Jewish historian, Josephus, identifies the awe-inspiring site of Mukawir (Machaerus) as the palace/fort of Herod, who was the Roman-appointed ruler over the region during the life of Jesus Christ.

Madaba

Madaba and its hinterlands were repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament. Then it was known as Medeba and it featured in narratives related to Moses and the Exodus, David’s war against the Moabites, Isaiah’s oracle against Moab and King Mesha of Moab’s rebellion against Israel.

Dead Sea & Lot’s Cave

The Dead Sea is one of the most dramatic places on earth, with its stunning natural environment equally matched by its powerful spiritual symbolism. The infamous Sodom and Gomorrah and other cities of the Dead Sea plain, or (Cities of the Valley) were the subjects of some of the most dramatic and enduring Old Testament stories, including that of Lot, whose wife was turned into a pillar of salt for disobeying God’s will.

Umm Ar-Rasas (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

This rectangular walled city, about 30km southeast of Madaba is mentioned on both, the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. It was fortified by the Romans and local Christians were still embellishing it with Byzantine-style mosaics well over 100 years after the start of the Muslim Umayyad rule.

Petra

Petra seems to be mentioned in the Bible’s Old Testament under several possible names, including Sela and Joktheel (2 Kings 14:7).

During the Exodus, Moses and the Israelites passed through the Petra area in Edom. Local tradition says that the spring at Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), just outside Petra, is the place where Moses struck the rock and brought forth water (Numbers 20:10-11).

JORDAN: Jordan Reviews Tourism Sector,Revenues Remain Static

Tourism officials in Jordan have been reviewing developments in the country's tourism sector as revenues from 2016 are on par with takings from 2015 despite a reported rise in the number of visitors to the Western Asian kingdom.

Jordan is home to an incredible 100,000+ sites of religious and archaeological sites and spectacular landmarks that draw tourists from all around the world, namely the historical cities of Petra and Jerash, and biblical sites including Al-Maghtas and Mount Nebo.

These sites are significant to both Islamic and Christian faiths, but Jordan also sees visitors coming for the purposes of medical tourism, where people come to receive medical attention that cannot be found in other places in the region.

Reports registered a 2.6 rise in overnight visitors in 2016, up from around 3.14 million in 2015 to 3.86 million in 2016. However, revenues from these 2016 visitors remained the same as in 2015, at approximately JD2.87 million.

Tourism is a cornerstone of the Jordanian economy, so it should come as no surprise that these statistics are being examined closely to see why and how the gaps are occurring, and analysis points to a number of factors.

The main reason that intake from the tourism sector is down is due to a shift in where the majority of tourists are coming from, and how their spending habits differ.

Traditionally, regional tourism made up the bulk of visitors to Jordan, mainly from Saudi Arabia, whose population has a bigger spending power than visitors from Europe, the United States and Asia.

But the number of Saudis coming to Jordan has dropped due to internal economic measures being taken in Saudi Arabia to cut down on expenses, which has had a knock-on effect on people's decisions to travel.

The effects of regional instability because of the Arab Spring and the ongoing war in Syria have also had an effect, with people perhaps choosing not to travel to a region that is deemed to be in the midst of an armed crisis.

The ministry for tourism is going to focus its efforts this year on cultivating religious and medical tourism in an effort to boost these sides of the economy.

Let's take a look at some projects currently underway in Jordan:

QASR AL-AQABA: Saraya Aqaba features a unique mix of residential, business and entertainment facilities and outlets, including the following four new hotels: Qasr Al-Aqaba, Al Qala'a, Al Manara a Luxury Collection Hotel and The Westin Aqaba.

Al Manara, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Saraya Aqaba: Saraya Aqaba features a unique mix of residential, business and entertainment facilities and outlets, including the following four new hotels:
Qasr Al-Aqaba (Jumeirah)
Al Qala'a (Jumeirah)

Marsa Zayed Aqaba: The project would include 8 hotels in a mixed-use waterfront project. This project will furthermore include high-rise residential towers, retail, recreational, entertainment, business and financial facilities.
The project will be implemented in several phases once the transfer of land ownership is complete.

JORDAN: Why Jordan Is Unique

Geography may appear to be Jordan’s curse… to the north, civil war in Syria; to the west, unrest and violence between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. To the east and south, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. At first glance, not exactly a peaceful neighbourhood, to put it mildly.

Jordan’s blessing its location nestled on the edge of the Arabian Peninsula and not far from the Mediterranean has blessed it with an enviable collection of wonders natural and manmade that put the country in a class by itself.

If it weren’t for Jordan’s geography, it wouldn’t boast the awe-inspiring rock city of Petra; the spectacular canyons of Wadi Rum and Mujib; the ancient city of Jerash; or Mount Nebo, from where Moses saw The Promised Land; or the site of Jesus’ baptism at Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

“Jordanians have a sense that they’ve been tasked to serve as guardians of something bigger than themselves,” says Khalid Itum.

Itum, a Jordanian national, travels frequently to Jordan from his current home in Los Angeles and once operated a travel company that arranged experiential travel to his native homeland.

He concurs that “Jordan really is different” than other countries in the region, due in part to its history and politics, but also because of its capacity to embrace and enmesh cultures that are often at odds with one another elsewhere.

“Jordan doesn’t have oil so chose to invest in human resources to thrive. That spawned a more liberal society against a backdrop of security. It’s more open and tolerant and is sort of close to everybody by necessity,” he explains.

“In Jordan there is no clash between east and west. They blend together nicely and naturally.”

Over the years, Itum has accompanied hundreds of visitors on their visits to Jordan, seeing first-hand how they react to the country when the also recognize just how different it is.

“You can see it in their eyes,” he explains. “The amazing religious sites, castles from the crusades, the amazing landscape – there’s something for everyone which is often more than people were expecting.”

Another hallmark that sets Jordan apart is its openness, which is often expressed on a personal level the legendary hospitality of its people.

“I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to visit Jordan without being invited in to someone’s home to share a meal together,” says Itum.

When asked to offer up experiences that best exemplify Jordan as the Different East, Itum is quick to mention Petra – the one-of-a-kind UNESCO world heritage site featured in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

“I’ve probably been there a couple of dozen times and every time my jaw just drops at how spectacular it is. There really is nothing like it anywhere,” he says.

But he adds that there is far, far more and has always insisted that his guests spend a minimum of a week there and even encourages people to stay for 10+ days.

Itum also mentions his own home city of Jerash – host to one of Jordan’s largest cultural festivals, which features an eclectic mix of Jordanian and international artists, with performances taking place in the open air among the city’s famed Roman ruins.

“Sitting there, listening to the music in that atmosphere, you feel like you’ve stepped into a different time,” he says. “But just beyond the spectacular Roman colonnades you find a modern, thriving city much like any other. It’s that sort of juxtaposition that really sums up what makes Jordan different.”

Another special spot for Itum and many of the tour groups he led is Mount Nebo, the spot described in the Old Testament where Moses was able to see the Promised Land.

“I’m not religious at all, but you can’t help but be gripped by the spirituality of the place,” he says. “And on a clear day you too can see the lights of Jerusalem.”

In some ways, Jordan’s distinctiveness comes from simply having been around for a long, long time. But more than that, it’s also how the country has preserved the legacy while at the same time embracing what lies ahead.

“Jordan really is one of the best places you'll ever travel to on the face of this earth,” Itum says. “I can try to paint the picture, but you'll have to experience it for yourself to truly understand.”

The sentiment was perhaps best expressed by the late King Hussein, who ruled Jordan for more than four decades until his death in 1999:

“Jordan has a strange, haunting beauty and a sense of timelessness. Dotted with the ruins of empires once great, it is the last resort of yesterday in the world of tomorrow.”