Photo Essay: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

When you think of the Middle East its usually Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, or Iran that come to mind. These places feature regularly on the news and in discussions. Yet quietly sitting between Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Israel lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Although much of the country, especially to the East is arid desert, the West of the country contains higher more arable land before dropping into the Northern end of the Great Rift Valley - the area often referred to as the "cradle of civilisation" - and of course, the Dead Sea.

With all this desert, it might not seem a likely tourist destination, however hidden within the heart of Jordan lies one of the modern wonders of the world - Petra. If that is not enough then the remote wilderness of the Wadi Rum nature reserve in the South, and Jerash, one of the most complete Roman city ruins outside Italy, in the North make this a fascinating destination for those of a more adventurous nature.

Wadi Rum in the South is a huge nature reserve consisting of arid desert and many sandstone rocks towering out of the desert floor, some to over 1,750m. Apart from the beauty of the natural landscape which can be experienced by hiking around the area, the rocks and canyons make it a popular haunt for climbers. The area is most famous for its links to Lawrence of Arabia. It's the place where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T.E. Lawrence based their headquarters during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War 1, and much of the film starring Peter O'Toole was filmed in the area. It's also long been home to the nomadic Nabateans and carvings and "graffiti", some from over 4000 years ago, can still be found on the outcrops of rock in the area. Local Nabatean tribes still live in the area and hikers and climbers can experience true nomadic culture by camping over night in authentic Bedouin goat's hair tents dotted throughout the area.

Far in the North, lie the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Jerash. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities, known as the Decapolis. For many centuries the city was buried under sand, but 70 years of excavation and restoration now provide visitors with breath-taking example of a grand Roman city. The wealthy citizens of Jerash built many monuments and features that can still be seen today. These include Hadrian's Arch, a hippodrome, two immense temples to both Zeus and Artemis, a massive oval Forum, surrounded by columns, two theatres, baths, and a scattering of small temples. A long colonnaded street runs through the city and an almost complete circuit of city walls surrounds the site. Standing within the city today, it is easy to imagine the bustling locals going about their business in the first century AD.

And last, but most certainly not least, we come to Petra. Often described as the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it is now a World Heritage Site and Jordan’s greatest tourist attraction. Petra is a vast city, carved into the sheer rock face by the ancient Nabataeans more than 2000 years ago. The city was an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. What many people do not know is that people still lived in the caves here right up to 1987 when the Government built a new settlement for the locals and focused on developing Petra as a tourist site. As a result, many of the guides grew up on the site and can provide a unique perspective of the area.

By far the most impressive and well known building is the Treasury (or Al-Khazneh as it is known locally). Despite the name this stunning facade, carved into the rose-red cliff face is actually a royal tomb. You enter the site via the Siq - a narrow winding gorge with 80m high walls - and as you reach the bottom you're teased by a partial view of the building, until finally, you walk out into a large open area, surrounded on all side by towering cliffs, and can take in the immensity of the work carried out. The building and all its decoration, including free standing support columns, have all been laboriously carved out of the solid rock face. Walking further into the city you additional examples of this ranging from simple caves through to more elaborate carvings.

Finally, far in the hills above the city, lies the mysterious Monastery. Its a tough climb to get to it but well worth the effort. The building is a stunning example of the ancient Nabatean's architectural skills and its location, perched high in the highs, present inspiring views of the surrounding countryside. Its the ideal location to sit awhile, sip a glass of the local sweet mint tea, and reflect on this country's mesmerizing beauty and contrasts.