Swiss archaeologist examines ancient Nabateans water technology at Petra

AMMAN — The infrastructure of Petra, the capital of the ancient Nabateans, still remains a mystery to most people who visit this heritage site. The focus of tourists when they arrive to Petra is to find splendid monuments, temples, shrines, churches and market places, but the water infrastructure and the way Nabateans preserved water for irrigation and drinking is relatively unknown, noted Ulrich Bellwald, a Swiss archaeologist, conservator and architect.

World Economic forum on Mideast and North africa kicks off

The World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa is scheduled to kick off today at the Dead Sea, in Jordan and it will host more than 1000 business and political leaders and representatives from civil society, international organizations, youth and the media from over 50 countries, organizers said today.

RSCN confiscates 280 illegally hunted, kept animals last year

AMMAN — Nature inspectors recorded 280 cases of illegal hunting, possession and trade of wild birds and animals last year, according to the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN).

Foxes constituted the majority of the seized and confiscated animals found with violators, according to the RSCN, which said it has seized and confiscated 10 foxes over the past year.

Jordan 5th safest Arab country for tourists, 38th worldwide

Jordan ranked as the 38th safest destination for tourists globally in 2017, and the 5th among regional countries, a recent report by the World Economic Forum stated.

Finland topped the 136 countries listed in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index 2017, followed by the UAE, Iceland, Oman and Hong Kong.

New tourism investments in Jordan amount to JOD16 billion, says minister

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Lina Annab Tuesday said Jordan s largest tourism investments are located in Amman, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, pointing out that the value of current investments in Aqaba and the Dead Sea amount to about JOD16 billion.

Jubeiha Amusement Park shuts down permanently

Jubeiha Amusement Park, one of Amman’s oldest entertainment facilities, has closed down permanently due to the deteriorated state of its rides and structures, a municipal official said on Tuesday.

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) on Tuesday announced the closure of the amusement park for safety reasons, indicating that most of the park’s rides and structures had exceeded their lifespan.

Adventure travel conference opens at Dead Sea

Deputising for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Prime Minister Hani Mulki Tuesday opened the adventure travel conference, which is organised by the Jordan Tourism Board and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA).

Jordanian and Egyptian tourism ‘interconnected’, need joint tourism strategy

 AMMAN — By developing joint tourism promotional offers, Jordan and Egypt can exploit untapped opportunities to boost bilateral and inbound tourism to both countries, officials from both sides agreed.

Speaking at a session organised by the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) on Sunday, officials said the “strong” and “strategic” relations binding the two countries were the foundations for cooperation in various fields, including tourism.

World-famous singer Andrea Bocelli to perform in Jordan

The tourism scene in Jordan has recently shown signs of recovery with growing numbers of tourists, Tourism Minister Lina Annab said on Wednesday, attributing the increase to several factors including the active role played by the private sector.

Jordan welcomes increasing number of British visitors

Jordan saw further growth in UK visitor numbers in the first quarter of 2017, January – March, increasing by 15.8 per cent, compared to the same period in 2016.

The swell in travellers follows the announcement that UK tourists to the Hashemite Kingdom also grew by seven per cent in 2016.

Jordan not just Petra, Dead Sea, tourism sector leaders agree

 
AMMAN — “Unfamiliar” tourist sites around the Kingdom can be promoted as providing visual experiences and opportunities for interaction with local residents through new marketing campaigns, representatives from the tourism sector said on Tuesday.
In an article posted recently on Middle East social news website www.stepfeed.com, 14 tourist attractions around Jordan “that aren’t Petra, Amman, and the Dead Sea” were promoted.

Jordan Trail: A trek through history via ancient villages and wild wadis

Then draw a route through more than 10,000 years of history, covering Neolithic ruins, Biblical sites, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, and russet landscapes that wouldn t look out of place on Mars.
That s the Jordan Trail, and only a slice of it.
The 650-kilometer trail takes about 40 days to complete, starting at the northern tip of Jordan in the city of Umm Qais and ending in Aqaba in the south, where hikers meet the country s only coastline.
Jordan is more than just desert, and the cross-section of the nation that the Jordan Trail cuts through is a tour de force in diversity.

Amman designated capital of Islamic culture 2017

AMMAN — Amman on Wednesday was officially announced as the capital of Islamic culture for 2017.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) selected Jordan s capital for this year s title as part of a programme that seeks to establish pan-Islamic cultural action, said ISESCO President Abdul Aziz Twaijri.

The myth, history, and mystery of petra

A journey through the passageways and open spaces of Petra of Jordan, with a close look at the myth and history of the Nabataean civilization and the rise and fall of the ancient city: Petra

Heritage stakeholders join forces to preserve archaeological artifacts

With the aim of preserving archaeological artifacts at the Jordan Archaeological Museum located at the Amman Citadel, the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology (GPIA), the Department of Antiquities (DoA) and the Gerda Henkel Foundation (GHF) joined forces in the project “Protection of Cultural Heritage in Jordan”, according to stakeholders.

Relatively hot weather forecast

Temperatures are expected to slightly drop on Monday, but they remain 4-6 degrees above their annual average.Therefore, it will continue to be relatively hot in the hilly areas and hot in other parts of the Kingdom.

According to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD), winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk, blowing dust at times.

Aqaba programme to train first group of professional women divers

AMMAN — Six women from Aqaba will undergo professional diving training this year to become the port city’s first batch of certified female divers, according to the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS).

JREDS is now drawing up the criteria for which women will be accepted into the training programme, according to its Executive Director Ehab Eid.

"There are things you can do in Jordan that you cannot do anywhere else in the world" — hiker

DEAD SEA — “There are things you can do in Jordan that you cannot do anywhere else in the world,” Andrew Evans said to sum up his experience in Jordan after hiking across the country for over 40 days.

Khirbat Iskandar reveals ‘crucial time span in history of Jordan’ — Italian archaeologist

AMMAN — A “fascination” with the practice of archaeology was one of the driving motives for Marta D’Andrea, an Italian archaeologist from Sapienza University of Rome, to come to Jordan and take part in numerous archaeological projects.

Wadi Rum stargazing and astrophotography

Astrophotography is simply taking a photograph of an object in space, whether it s with a point-and-shoot camera, the Hubble Space Telescope or any other type of camera. And the subject matter can include anything from the moon to the Milky Way. One of the best places to do this in Jordan is at Wadi Rum, so you would enjoy the calmness, Quietness and the clear sky at night because there is no light pollution at Rum area ( the reserve ). Below are some shots that I ve taken using my DSLR camera which is Nikon D5300, the best photos were taken using shutter time of 30 seconds, ISO of 3200 and the Minimum Aperture I have which is 3.5 (18mm Nikor Lense).