21 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Jordan - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Jordan

Petra

An ancient capital city 3000 years old and harboring many surprises.

Added by LongNow

Petra District, Jordan

Little Petra

A more chill but no less fascinating version of the famous ancient archeological site.

Added by Arthnold Manacatsirman

The Ruins of Jerash

Gladiators battle and chariots race daily in the ruins of a once-great Roman city.

Annetta Black

Added by Annetta Black

Hand of Hercules

The most gigantic, swoony, intimidating trio of fingers in all of antiquity.

littlebrumble

Added by littlebrumble

Madaba Mosaic Map

The world's oldest map of the holy land gives us a fragmented glimpse of the layout of biblical nations.

Added by Liza B

Areedh Sub-District, Jordan

River Canyons of Jordan

Concentrated around the Dead Sea, these surprising canyons are filled with coursing water, fish, and even crabs.

Added by Rebecca Byrne

Roman Theater of Amman

This exceptionally well-preserved ancient marvel also houses a small museum dedicated to Jordanian folk tradition.

Added by Rebecca Byrne

The Duke's Diwan

One man's labor of love, Amman's oldest home has become a timecapsule with its doors permanently open to artists and guests.

littlebrumble

Added by littlebrumble

See All 21 Things to Do in Jordan See All 21 Places

Atlas Obscura Trips

Jordan’s Ancient Ruins, Desert Landscapes, and Starry Skies

Explore Jordan's long-abandoned desert fortresses, spectacular mosques, Biblical landmarks, and Roman ruins, and travel across its magnificent orange desert by camel and jeep to sleep under starry skies.

Explore Jordan

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Stories
About Jordan

Wadi Rum in southern Jordan.

In Jordan, Bedouins Are Preserving Ancient Rock Art With an App

Locals are using their phones to document and assess the engravings of Wadi Rum.

by Robin George Andrews

Two laborers build the city and discuss their work in the captions.

Found: An Ancient Roman Comic Strip With Speech Bubbles

“Alas for me! I am dead!”

by Matthew Taub

September 28, 2018

Malted barley: just a couple of steps away from beer.

Found: Evidence of the Oldest Beer Ever Brewed

It's possible that beer even came before bread.

by Matthew Taub

September 12, 2018

The Scanning Electron Microscope photograph of bread found at Shubayqa 1.

Found: 14,400-Year-Old Flatbread Remains That Predate Agriculture

The burned crumbs shed light on prehistoric hunter-gatherers’ diets.

Hamzeh AlMaaytah in his bookstore's storage room.

A Jordan Bookseller's 24-Hour 'Emergency Room for the Mind'

At his bookstore in Amman, Hamzeh AlMaaytah administers life-affirming literature.

by Shira Telushkin

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Jordan