World Traveller March 2020

ONCE UPON A TIME
Jordan's fantastic monuments still shine
bright today as a beacon of its imperial past
PETRA
Considered the capital city of the
Nabataeans, the lost city of Petra will always
remain the crowning glory of ancient Jordan.
Rush through the Siq (which is the narrow
gorge entrance to the city) to reach the iconic
Treasury, the tomb where most visitors fall in
love with Petra. Known locally as Al Khazneh,
the Hellenistic facade is an astonishing piece
of craftsmanship intricately decorated with
Corinthian capitals, friezes, figures and more.
Similar in its magnificence but far bigger in
size, Ad Deir is another legendary monument
of Petra hidden high in the hills. Don't miss
Petra by night, when the place comes alive by
the light of a thousand candles.
This page: Petra
Opposite, from top: Ma’In
Hot Springs Resort & Spa;
Darat al Funun – The Khalid
Shoman Foundation
JERASH
Here, looming stone colonnades, echoing
avenues and ceremonial gates mark the
streets where Romans once walked 2,000
years ago. You'll feel the pomp of Rome
the minute you enter the city through the
triumphal, 13-metre-tall Hadrian’s Arch. Walk
the historical Colonnaded Street – still paved
with the original stones – and find your way
to the Oval Plaza. A total of 56 Ionic columns
surround the paved oval-shaped limestone
plaza, linking the Cardo Maximus with the
striking Temple of Zeus. Meanwhile, stepping
onto the sandy track of the Hippodrome feels
like entering the chariot scene from Ben Hur.
Watch chariots race and gladiators clash on
the site where Roman warriors once battled.
WADI RUM
With gargantuan rock formations, rippled
sand dunes, and clear night skies, Wadi Rum
is simply a voyage through time. The ruins
of the house where, according to legend,
Lawrence of Arabia lived during the Arab
Revolt against the Ottomans in the World
War I is the Wadi's undisputed highlight.
Meanwhile, the inscriptions of Anfaishiyya
cover a stretch of a huge rock face reminding
you that this area has been inhabited for
millennia. Be on the look out for Ain Ash-
Shallalah, or 'Lawrence’s Spring', a cave in
which water gushes from the lush vegetation
above, with ancient Arabic carvings adorning
its inner walls.
58 worldtravellermagazine.com