Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (better known simply as Jordan) is an angel-shaped Middle Eastern country sharing borders with Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank. Presenting itself as an oasis of peace in the midst of Middle Eastern conflicts, Jordan is known for its extraordinarily hospitable people, Western-educated rulers, otherworldly desert scenery, and magnificent archaeological ruins.

The land encompassed by modern Jordan is steeped in religious history. Ruth, the Moabite ancestor of King David, came from what is now a central region of Jordan; Herod the Great, an Ideumean, came from what is now the southern part of the country. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in Jordan, the Crusaders built the most formidable of their mountaintop castles at Kerak, and ancient mosques can be seen throughout the country.

Jordan Guide

English Name: Jordan Local Name: Al Urdun Time Zone: UTC+2; summer: UTC+3 Calling Code: 962 Area: 89,342 sq km Population: 6,342,948 (July 2009 est.) Languages: Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes Religions: Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shia Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)

Jordan Sacred Sites Index Browse our illustrated index of sacred sites and religious places Jordan Map A detailed interactive map of Jordan with major cities and religious sites marked, plus links to travel maps and more Jordan Books A hand-selected gallery of books on Jordan specially chosen for Sacred Destinations readers

Featured Destinations in Jordan (List All Destinations) Madaba Mosaic Map Madaba Located 25km southwest of Amman, Madaba is famous for the many Byzantine mosaics uncovered here. The most famous is the 6th-century "Madaba Map" of the Holy Land in St. George's Church. The Treasury Petra Believed by the Bedouin to contain a pharaoh's treasure, the Treasury is a beautiful Nabatean temple carved entirely out of the living rock. Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan The area known as Wadi Kharrar has long been believed to be the biblical Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, where John the Baptist lived and Jesus was baptized.

Jordan City Guides Petra Petra is a spectacular Nabatean city in western Jordan. With massive facades carved entirely out of the existing red sandstone, Petra's magnificent temples and tombs are like no other religious buildings in the world.

Sacred Destinations Home    Contact    Follow on Twitter    About    Using Images    Advertise    Spiritual Tours    Timeshares    Blog    Privacy Policy
Except where indicated otherwise, all content and images © 2005-09 Sacred Destinations. All rights reserved.
Free content for your Google homepage or website! Get our daily photo gadget.
Sacred Destinations is an online travel guide to sacred sites, pilgrimages, holy places, religious history, sacred places, historical religious sites, archaeological sites,
religious festivals, sacred sites, spiritual retreats, religious travel and spiritual journeys. We are a Yahoo Pick!
Popular categories: Ancient Mysteries, Biblical Sites, Cathedrals, Catholic Shrines, Footsteps of Jesus, Luther Sites
Popular sacred sites: Easter Island, Lourdes, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Oberammergau Passion Play, Shroud of Turin 2010, Sistine Chapel, St. Mark's Basilica, St. Peter's Basilica, Stonehenge
Popular city guides: Rome, Ravenna, Ephesus, Assisi, Paris, Jerusalem
Popular maps: England Map, Italy Map, Jerusalem Map, London Map, Paris Map, Rome Map
Stock photos of sacred places: Sacred Destinations Photography