Most likely, many of our readers will be surprised to learn that they saw the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, although they had never been to this country before. It turns out that the fantastic landscapes that we admired in Transformers, Star Wars, Prometheus, Martian and dozens of films were shot in this amazing place.
The interest of filmmakers in this desert is not accidental - it is a place of tremendous beauty and a riot of colors. Sometimes it seems that you are on some unknown planet. The unusual color of sand, mountains and sky, amazing textures of gorges, canyons and rocks - all this delights and amazes.
A bit of history
Historians claim that the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan appeared as a result of a break in the earth's crust. Subsequently, huge slabs of granite and ruined sandstone ridges formed this miracle, which was formerly called Wadi Iram. Interesting fact: this desert was inhabited in prehistoric times. On its territory, burial grounds and petroglyphs were discovered, confirming the importance of Wadi Rum as a habitat for people in antiquity.
Antique authors wrote about olive trees, vineyards and pines growing here, some of which have survived today on the tops of the mountains. Islamic scholars believe that it was here that the Adites once lived - the Arab tribe, which is mentioned in the Qur'an. On the rocks of Wadi Rum in Jordan, and tourist reviews confirm this, almost thirty thousand inscriptions were found. According to researchers, they were carved by tribes from South Arabia, and later by the Nabataeans, who settled in Wadi Rum in the 4th century. BC. It is interesting that in the desert two civilizations coexisted peacefully, worshiping one deities - the god Dushar and the goddess Alat.
The find of the Nabataean temple in 1933 spurred interest in this place not only tourists, but also scientists. Excavations were completed in 1997 by a team of archaeologists from France. Since the Wadi Rum desert is located in Jordan, close to the border with Saudi Arabia, caravans from Syria and Palestine to Arabia went through an endless stream through this territory from ancient times. Until now, there remained old wells and parking lots, where tired travelers stopped for the night.
Unlike most deserts, Wadi Rum in Jordan is not lifeless. Since ancient times, the Bedouins have inhabited it with their reliable helpers - camels. Admittedly, the Bedouins lead the same way of life as they did a dozen centuries ago. Neither the desert, nor their homes, nor the kitchen have changed. Perhaps, only TVs, cars and numerous tourists were added.
The name of the famous scout, ethnographer and philologist from Great Britain Thomas Edward Lawrence (Arabian) is associated with Wadi Rum in Jordan. In the deserts of Jordan during the Arabian uprising (1916-1918), units of the Arab Liberation Army were based. Lawrence of Arabia at that time was an adviser to the army commander, Prince Faisal, who fought against the Turks. In his book “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, ” Lawrence mentioned this amazing place and described its beauty.
Description
The Wadi Rum in Jordan is strikingly different from other deserts. The characteristic endless sand dunes, which usually stretch all the way to the horizon, have been replaced by majestic mountains. For dozens of centuries, the sun and wind have formed a striking landscape with canyons, arches and deep wells.
The Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan is located sixty kilometers from Aqaba. This is a rocky area, occupying a vast territory of 74, 180 hectares. In some places, the desert smoothly turns into a semi-desert, where there are separate dry shrubs and trees. The highest point of Wadi Rum is Mount Um al-Dami. Its height is 1830 meters. The terrain is uneven, teeming with hollows, hills and local canyons.
The Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan, which is the country's national park, has attracted travelers with its grandeur for many centuries. Since 2011, the park has been protected by UNESCO. Not only lovers of unusual natural landscapes come here, but also connoisseurs of extreme sports. The bravest ones can do cliff-claming here - high-speed ascent to a cliff 1750 meters high.
I must say that a huge impression on tourists is not made by any specific desert objects, but by its general greatness, silence and proud beauty. The color of the rocks here varies from black to light pink. Rocks formed by gray porous sandstone are replaced by almost black with a greenish tint basalt outcrops covered with small ripples.
Such a landscape is difficult to compare with something terrestrial; rather, associations with being on other planets come to mind.
Flora and fauna
The apparent emptiness of Wadi Rum is deceptive: different ecosystems are combined here. During the period of rare winter rains, the desert is covered with hundreds of different wild herbs and species of flowers. The Bedouins today use medicinal plants in folk medicine. Rare fig trees, camel thorns, a few herbaceous plants and bushes provide a saving shadow and food for birds, small mammals and reptiles.
Bedouin villages located in the desert are surrounded by orange and olive orchards, gardens and groves of date palms - the soil here is quite fertile, requiring only water. The animal world is represented by hares, hedgehogs and damans - small furry animals that are the closest relatives of modern elephants. In more remote areas, there is a steppe lynx, or ibex, wolf, jackal. Large birds live on the desert expanses - eagle owls, kestrels, falcons.
Tours
Travel agencies of the country offer guests many interesting excursions around the Wadi Rum in Jordan. One of the most popular and fascinating is the ascent to the natural rocky bridge of Burda Rock, accompanied by a guide. The journey up takes about an hour. Descent usually takes place much faster.
South of the village of Ram is the source of Lawrence. In the immediate vicinity you can see many rock inscriptions. There are many thematic excursions, and travelers can choose what they like. At the entrance to the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, nineteen sites are offered for public inspection. This includes the source and Lawrence’s house, two viewing platforms from which travelers admire the sunrise, rocky bridges - Burda, Small, Jebel, Seven pillars of wisdom, dunes, rock formations, Nabatean pillar.
Bedouin tents are installed near these attractions, where they pour tea, feed and sell souvenirs.
Jeep tour of Wadi Rum (Jordan)
It should be said that walking tours in the desert are not very popular: long distances, and it is difficult for an untrained person to be in such difficult climatic conditions for a long time. Therefore, usually tourists book a jeep safari. A Bedouin is usually behind the wheel. By the way, here they pretty well speak English.
The tour begins with a tour of the incredibly beautiful mountain ranges. Moreover, their beauty depends on the time of day — the sun illuminates these reddish sandstone rocks in such a way that their relief resembles either Dutch cheese or Raffaello candy.
The Bedouin will certainly bring you to one of the shops located somewhere in the gorge or under a picturesque mountain. There you will be offered simple souvenirs, treated with tea.
Desert Highlights: The Seven Pillars of Wisdom
This is the first and most visited attraction of Wadi Rum - the “Martian” desert in Jordan, which is visible even before entering the park. Seven pillars of different configurations and heights seem to stand guard over the national park.
City of Petra
This extraordinary city was discovered in the 19th century. The journey here begins with a narrow and long gorge Sik. In ancient times, several brave warriors could hold back an entire army in this gorge. There were many such attacks on the city, and all of them were repelled. In the rocks are ancient tombs, tombs, living quarters, huge festive halls. Here you can appreciate the beauty of the ancient amphitheater, designed for four thousand people.
The main mystery of this city is the complete disappearance of its population many centuries ago. At one point, the city was completely deserted. Since then, no one lives in it, with the exception of nomads. The city of Petra was built by hand, each stone was individually honed. Today, it stands only 15% of the thickness of the rocks, so archaeologists still have a huge amount of work to do.
Petroglyphs in Hazali Canyon
Almost at the very entrance to it, you can see on the walls the ancient Nabataean rock paintings - petroglyphs. They are not yet fully understood, but research is ongoing.
Mausoleum of Al Khazneh
Another attraction that is a symbol of Petra. At the entrance to it, right on the facade, there is a huge urn. An ancient legend says that gold and precious stones were stored in it. The Bedouins tried to verify the reliability of this information, shot a ballot box from rifles, but the jewelry did not spill out of it. Today you can see small holes from bullets on it.
Desert sunset
Even if your time in the desert is limited to only a few hours (many tourists come here for half a day), try to plan it in such a way as to see a sunset or sunrise in the desert - this is truly a fantastic sight. There are several places for this, the choice of which depends on the time of year, but you probably will not be mistaken if you go to Umm Sabat.
Where to stay in Wadi Rum?
Interestingly, the Bedouins living in the desert, which they call the Moon Valley, receive the main income from tourists: they contain small souvenir shops, cafes and even some kind of hotels - Bedouin tents.
Bedouin Traditions Camp, for example, looks like a long hut, in which there are two rows of bunks along the walls (with blankets and pillows). We must pay tribute: the room is decorated pretty nicely. Here you can try zarb in the evening - a national dish reminiscent of Central Asian pilaf, but cooked in a pit with hot coals.
Most tourists believe that staying in these places for the night is not a good idea. But if you prefer an extreme vacation with an overnight stay in a tent, lack of Internet and beach, forest and city entertainment, then you can choose one of the many tent towns.
There are also campsites. In any case, this is a tent made of felt, in which you will be provided with a bed and a candle. The toilet and shower are usually located in a separate large tent.
How to get to Wadi Rum?
There is no public transport in this area, which greatly complicates the path to this natural monument of Jordan. However, there are several ways to get to the desert yourself:
Taxi
You can rent a taxi from Aqaba. Often in this case, two excursions are combined in one day - to the desert and to ancient Petra. If you go to the ancient city in the morning and do not stay there for a long time, then by lunch you can visit some desert sites.
Car rent
In Jordan, you can rent a car and go on a trip yourself. To do this, you need to get to highway number 15 at the turn to the Wadi Rum desert and drive the remaining 21 km on the way.
