According to ethnicityology, Jordan, Arabic Al-Urdunn, officially Al-Mamlaka al-Urdunnijja al-Haschimijja, German Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan, is a state in Western Asia with (2018) 10 million residents; The capital is Amman.
Baptismal site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) (World Heritage)
The historic settlement of Bethanien is located two kilometers east of the Jordan, around 50 kilometers from Amman, the capital of Jordan. According to the biblical writings, it was the dwelling place and the place of activity of John the Baptist. Bethany is located on a hill that was already a religious place of worship in pre-Christian times: It is from this point that the prophet Elijah ascended to heaven. Bethany is also located on the pilgrimage route that was widely used in antiquity and connects the city of Jerusalem with Mount Nebo in Jordan. The archaeological finds in this area are among the most important in Jordan. A church building from the late Byzantine period was found between the ancient settlement and the river. The orthodox prayer house on the river probably marked the baptismal site of Jesus. According to the tradition of the Gospel of John, Jesus of Nazareth was baptized in the Jordan in Bethany.
Baptismal site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas): Facts Hide table
| Official title: | Baptismal site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) |
| Cultural monument: | Testimony of Christian devotion to the baptismal place of Jesus Christ |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | Jordan |
| Location: | Historical settlement east of the Jordan River |
| Appointment: | 2015 |
| Meaning: | Example of sacred architecture from the late Byzantine period |
Wadi Rum Protected Area (World Heritage)
The area east of Aqaba encompasses over 150 archaeological sites with temples, wells and remains of villages over a length of approx. 100 km and a width of approx. 60 km. They reflect the development of human cultural history since prehistoric times. Over 25,000 petroglyphs and inscriptions prove a settlement that goes back 12,000 years.
Wadi Rum Protected Area: Facts
| Official title: | Wadi Rum Conservation Area |
| Natural monument: | Area of 740 km² in the south of Jordan on a sandstone plateau of up to 1,750 m height; colorful, aesthetically impressive desert landscape with gorges, valleys, characteristic monolithic boulders, terraces, caves and various forms of sand formations; Evidence of the settlement begun 13,000 years ago in the form of rock paintings and inscriptions with battle, dance and animal scenes (approx. 25,000 caves with approx. 20,000 rock drawings, some preliminary stages of the alphabet); over 150 archaeological sites with temples and other traces of settlement by semi-nomadic Bedouins |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | Jordan |
| Location: | East of Aqaba |
| Appointment: | 2011 |
| Meaning: | Unique testimony to the development of a vital form of life in the desert; extraordinarily diverse, several thousand year old documents of settlement and exchange between humans and barren nature; outstanding examples of Arab pastoral culture; aesthetically impressive, untouched and diverse desert landscape |
Umm ar-Rasas archaeological site (World Heritage)
The archaeological site of Umm ar-Rasas is about 70 km from Amman. It contains numerous testimonies from Roman and Byzantine times and from the early days of Islam from the end of the 3rd to the 9th century. The buildings include a Byzantine tower and St. Stephen’s Church. Most of the relics have not yet been excavated.
Umm ar-Rasas Archaeological Site: Facts
| Official title: | Umm ar-Rasas archaeological site (Kastron Mefa’a) |
| Cultural monument: | Remains of a walled settlement from the early days of Islam, the Roman and early Christian-Byzantine periods from the end of the 3rd to the 9th century; Buildings including a Byzantine tower (15 m high) of the Christian monks and St. Stephen’s Church with outstanding mosaics from the Umayyad period; largely unexcavated site |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | Jordan |
| Location: | about 70 km from Amman |
| Appointment: | 2004 |
| Meaning: | Outstanding early architectural and artistic achievement; impressive testimony to the spread of monotheistic religions |
