Jordan may be one of the most stable countries in the Arab world. But because of its proximity to the region’s trouble spots, few holidaymakers are currently travelling there from Europe – even though now is the peak season.
(KNA). Petra, one of the seven new wonders of the world, normally attracts a million visitors a year from all over the world. That’s why travel guides to Jordan recommend visiting the red-brown Nabataean city, carved into the cliffs, at 6 o’clock in the morning, when there are fewer tourists. But this advice is unnecessary now: there is plenty of space in front of the famous Treasury. By Christof Haverkamp
Jordan’s tourism industry is suffering from the Middle East conflict. 80 percent of guests stay away, reports Ahmad al-Ghelany, a tour guide since 2007. He takes hiking groups to Petra, the Dana Nature Reserve and the rocky and sandy desert of Wadi Rum on the border with Saudi Arabia. Many camps there stand empty, and the Bedouins miss out on extra income. They usually cook for holidaymakers and transport luggage in off-road vehicles.
Tourism is a sensitive industry. Many travelers stay away for fear of war and terror, especially because of the proximity to Israel. The mountain ranges of the neighboring country can be seen on the hazy horizon to the east of the Jordan River, and on the beach of the port city of Aqaba, you can see the Israeli city of Eilat directly opposite. Only 15 kilometers separate the two places on the Red Sea, where an underwater world full of fish and colorful coral reefs invite you to snorkel.
The German Foreign Office strongly advises against travelling to the border areas with Syria and Iraq. Unlike in the past, the airline Royal Jordanian no longer flies the direct route over Israel or Syria to the capital Amman but instead takes the detour over the Sinai desert. The regions in the interior, however, appear safe.
Jordan is considered one of the most stable countries in the Arab world and a mediator in the Middle East conflict. After the Second World War, Jordan and Israel were enemies for decades, but in 1994 King Hussein and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin settled the conflict and signed a peace treaty. The Muslim majority also lives peacefully with the Christian minority of ten per cent.
Foreign tourists benefit from the fact that Jordan is currently less in demand. It is a country full of cultural and natural treasures and has a rich history: the Nabataeans created a high culture in ancient times, and Petra was an important ancient trading post on the Incense Road from southern Arabia to the Mediterranean.
Photo: Adobe Stock
Six caravan routes crossed here. To the east of the Jordan, the Ammonites, Edomites and Moabites once lived – Semitic peoples who already appear in the Old Testament.
The Gospel of Mark mentions Gerasa, also known as Jerash, in connection with the healing of a demon-possessed man. According to the Gospel, unclean spirits entered pigs, which then rushed down a steep slope. Theologians are trying to interpret this enigmatic story.
Today, Gerasa is one of the best-preserved cities of late antiquity in the Middle East. You can visit columned streets and temples from the Roman era, as well as the remains of Byzantine churches and buildings from the early Islamic Umayyad period.
In the silence of Wadi Rum, you can imagine how Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. Sandstone and granite rock walls characterize the landscape, which is as barren as it is breathtaking. At night, thousands of stars and the moon shine above in the clear desert air. Tourism in Wadi Rum had increased in recent years, except during the Corona phase. Even cyclists can be seen here.
But now there is a crisis in the travel industry again. Anyone leaving Wadi Rum and entering a service station with a souvenir shop along the motorway will find only a yawning emptiness. Scarves, jewelry, spices and other souvenirs are waiting in vain for buyers.
Autumn, along with spring, is the main season in Jordan because it is pleasantly warm, but not too hot. Tour guide Ahmad al-Ghelany was on the road for twelve days with a hiking group of seven. After a one-day break, the next group was waiting for him. Although only four participants arrived, the guide says that, although it’s not many, it’s still better than having to sit at home doing nothing.