After our first proper day exploring the ancient lost kingdom of Petra in Jordan (see also our other post from when we visited the ancient monastery in Petra), we decided to head north the next day and explore more of Jordan. Dead C.
Except, instead of going straight up there, we decided to take a little detour and visit some incredible places along the way.
To get around, we actually hired a driver through our hotel because that seemed like the most sensible option.
The price was actually quite reasonable and on top of that, we had our friend, Georgia, with us, so it meant that the cost would be shared between the 3 and so financially, it made more sense than trying to find some other way to get it. around
We started at Shobak Castle, not far from Wadi Musa.
Wadi Musa, by the way, is the town where Petra is.
Shobak Castle is also known as Montreal and dates back to 1115 so it is an amazing historical site to check out in Jordan.
We didn’t spend too long there before heading to our next stop, the city of Madaba.
One thing we were particularly looking for in Madaba is a famous mosaic map, aptly called “The Madaba Map” located in St. George’s Church.
The Madaba map currently shows Jordan and its surrounding countries and is one of the oldest maps.
It is dated to the year 542 which makes it about 1,500 years old so understandably it reflects what the area would have looked like at the time and how it looks today.
Leaving Madaba we continued north to Mount Nebo which is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Moses was shown the Promised Land.
Mount Nebo is also where Moses died, making the site an important pilgrimage site for Christians, Muslims, and Jews around the world.
On clear days you can see Israel and Palestine as well as the Dead Sea from Mount Nebo.
Now, at the very top of Mount Nebo, you’ll find Syagha or Siagha (depending on who you talk to), home to the remains of a Byzantine church.
This is one of the things you might not miss while you are here as it has these incredibly ancient mosaics adorning the walls of the church.
The church is believed to have existed until the year 394 and is again another important historical site to visit in Jordan.
From there we moved on to the Dead Sea and it’s really the most surreal feeling when you step into the water there.
For the uninitiated, the Dead Sea is one of the lowest points on Earth and the working theory (in simple terms) surrounding its formation is that it was once part of an ocean but was eventually cut off by tectonic activity.
Over time, it then evaporates making it increasingly saline (water evaporates without any salt) and is now about 10 times saltier than the ocean.
This salinity is such that you can float here without any effort.
Also, another famous thing here is the mud you get from the Dead Sea.
It is supposed to be really good for your skin and honestly, it feels like it when you use it.
As your skin feels noticeably softer.
Understandably, there is now a huge demand for this clay all over the world.
Leaving the Dead Sea, we began to return to Petra, but by a different route from the way we actually arrived, this time traveling along the shore line of the Dead Sea.
The landscape down that road is absolutely breathtaking and we had to get out of the car several times to stop and take everything in properly.
And the journey back became even more special as the sun set and before long we were back in Petra, finally ready to visit this ancient lost city at night.
It’s literally called Petra at night and there’s a full candlelight display and everything.
I will share it all In the next post – including our visit to the perhaps lesser known ‘Little Petra’.
Check out The very best of Great Britain!
Check out Our YouTube channel For travel videos!