The Atlas Obscura Guide To

Jordan

10 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Jordan

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

Hand of Hercules

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

littlebrumble

Added by littlebrumble

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

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

Qasr Amra

A bathhouse from the second Islamic Caliphate decorated with frescoes of constellations, pleasure gardens, and naked ladies.

ahvenas

Added by ahvenas

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

Damiya Dolmen Field

This ancient stone necropolis is in danger of disappearing.

EricGrundhauser

Added by EricGrundhauser

See All 10 Things to Do in Jordan See All 10 Places

Atlas Obscura Trips

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

May 3—May 15, 2019

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

Jordan Leaderboard

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Demonika wants to go to Hand of Hercules

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Stories
About Jordan

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

Lists Featuring
Jordan

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