abeer abdo art oil & acrylic painting photo jordan Jordan

Petra is the treasure of ancient world, hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, boasting incomparable scenes that make it the most majestic and imposing ancient site still-standing nowadays.., there is nothing in the world that resembles it. The rock-carved rose-red city of Petra is full of mysterious charm, it was "designed to strike wonder into all who entered it". It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now one of The New 7 Wonders of the World that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe. The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq ) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh) , whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun. Petra sights are at their best in early morning and late afternoon, when the sun warms the multicolored stones, you can view the majesty of Petra as it was seen first when discovered in 1812 after being lost by the 16th century for almost 300 years!

Aqaba's history dates back to the 4th millennium BC. The name of Aqaba was given to the port city in the 14th century when it was ruled by the Mamluk Sultan based in Egypt. Previously, it was known as Ayla , a name which archaeologists and historians have often interpreted as the twin version of Eilat.

Tell Al-Khalifeh, inside the Jordanian-Eilat border, some 3 km north of modern Aqaba, was initially identified with Ezion Geber , mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, where King Solomon (pbuh) built a fleet that sailed to Ophir (Somalia) and returned with 420 talents of gold. But recent excavations indicate that the site was found after the 8th century BC and served commercial and industrial purposes: for smelting copper and as a halting place for caravans.

Hike or climb in Wadi Rum, a mauve hued valley of mesmerizing beauty where Lawrence of Arabia once rode. Try hot air ballooning over the hills and canyons, or spend a night under the stars in Bedouin tent.
Feel the romance of the Arabian Desert in the spring time ... or any time, at Wadi Rum in Jordan. Let the fabled T. E. Lawrence come alive, where through memories stirred from the screen version or from the pages of history and the actual exploits of the legendary British officer.

It is the secrets these waters hold that makes Aqaba unique, for further down the coast are a dazzling undersea world of some of the most spectacular coral reefs to be found anywhere in the world. Often over many hundreds of meters wide, the reef is made up of many delicately hued corals among which live a myriad of brilliantly colored fish.
The absence of stormy weather, along with the mild water currents contribute to clear waters , one of Aqaba's exceptional environmental conditions. Warm, clear waters provide a hospitable environment for the growth of corals, and favorable salinity levels provide an environment for myriad varieties of marine-life forms.

Contrary to what many people think, corals are not plants but very delicate animals. Due to their slow rate of growth (about 1 cm/year), the corals that are seen today in the Gulf are centuries old.

Wadi Rum is like the moon scape of ancient valleys and towering weathered sandstone mountains rising out of the white and pink colored sands. Much of David Lean's "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed there and it was also the location where T. E. Lawrence himself was based during the Arab Revolt.
A desert police fort is located at the entrance to Wadi Rum, where the police are not mounted on horse or jeep, but on camels--ships of desert.
Today Wadi Rum challenges climbers to scale its sheer granite and sandstone cliffs, to hike along mountain trails and valleys, to trek deep into the enchanting landscape in four wheel

drive vehicles, or to join two or three day desert safaris on camel back or 4x4 vehicles.

Stunning in its natural beauty, Wadi Rum epitomizes the romance of the desert. Now the home of several Bedouin tribes, Wadi Rum has been inhabited for generations. These hospitable and friendly desert people are settled around the 'Beau Geste' Camel Corps Fort in Wadi Rum, and in scattered nomadic camps throughout the area. You may be invited to share mint tea or cardamom coffee in there black tents, perhaps sitting by the fire under a starry desert sky it is an experience you will never forget.

For relaxation, water sports, and winter warmth, Aqaba is warm, sunny and inviting, fringed with palm trees, lapped by the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, cooled by a steady northerly breeze, and ringed by mountains that change in color with the change of the hours. Snorkeling, water skiing, wind surfing, para-sailing, fishing and a variety of other water sports, including unsurpassed scuba diving are just some of the popular activities to partake in.

Camels are the ruminant animal that has either one or two humps on its back and is adapted to a dry climate. This mammal hoofed animal that chews cud, with an even number of toes and a stomach with multiple chambers, is what we call back home “The ship of the desert”.
Isn’t he cute…!! :)