Jordan is a country of surprising contrast and variety. Its ancient treasures are many and unique; its modern pleasures and facilities are varied and refreshing. Jordan evokes a simpler time, a sense of place and a cherished way of life. Of the rich national legacy of the land and people of Jordan, perhaps the most ancient and enduring thread is our tradition of making visitors from other countries our friends.Amman is a city of contrasts, a mixture of the ancient and the modern. Spread over nineteen hills, Amman is crowned by the Citadel, the ruins of the Temple of Hercules, overlooking the 5,000 seat Roman Amphitheatre.

An hour’s drive north of Amman is the Graeco-Roman City of Jerash, known for its extraordinary state of preservation. Jerash is considered the best preserved and most complete city of the Decapolis, a confederation of ten Roman cities dating from the 1st Century BC. A short drive west, at the village of Ajlun, is a remarkable 12th Century AD castle on an awesome mountain top, Qalaat er Rabad, built in 1184 by Izzedine Usama. Nearer to Amman is Iraq el Amir, an antiquity site dating back to 2nd Century BC, where the visitor finds a carefully restored Hellenistic villa.

For sensation seekers, a swim in the Dead Sea, the lowest spot on earth at 400 m (1300 ft) below sea level, is conceivable!! You can also visit 10,000-year old Stone Age villages where humankind first began experimenting with communal life. Trekking through the desert, one will be able to visit the 8th Century AD Islamic desert castles. Feel the romance of the Arabian Desert in the springtime…or anytime, at Wadi Rum. It is like a moonscape of ancient valleys and towering weathered sandstone mountains rising out of the white and pink colored sands. When fantasy, sun and sea meet the charms of antiquity, the visitor can find himself, at any time of the year, at the Red Sea resort of Aqaba.

A dazzling undersea world of coral, fish and other marine life is just meters off the sandy beaches. Snorkeling, water skiing, wind surfing, fishing and a variety of other water sports, including unsurpassed scuba diving are popular. The most famous attraction in Jordan is the Nabataean city of Petra south of Amman. The rose-red stone carved city, half as old as time, was used as a temporary refuge by nomadic Arabs more than 2,000 years ago.

In Jordan, our welcome to friends from other countries is as old as human travel itself. We welcome you to visit our country and to see its ancient traditions and contemporary vitality…. especially at the time of the International Jordan Rally - Marlboro.