Amman

The capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Amman in history as Rabbath- Ammon and in Greco- Roman times - known as Philadelphia- has much to offer.

Vibrant with its arts scene and business community, rich with what it offers in shopping, fine cuisine, hotels and entertainment facilities that cater to every taste, and proud of its historical and ancient treasures, Amman is ideal for every kind of traveler. In Amman, you will get a taste of both ancient and modern and be touched by the hospitality and friendliness of the Jordanian people.

Most of Amman's historical sites are in its downtown area, the hub of the city where you can stroll through suqs (markets) and acquire unique treasures to take home. Towering above Amman is the ancient Citadel, remnants of Amman's many lives: the regal columns of a Roman temple, the elegant capitals of a Byzantine church, the unique carvings in the Umayyad Palace, and fascinating displays in the Archaeological Museum.

At the foot of the Citadel proudly lies the Roman Theater, a deep- sided bowl carved into the hill and still used for cultural events. A wide variety of tourist sites, hotels and entertainment facilities, and its proximity to Jordan's other tourist sites, make of Amman an ideal location to visit.

Dead Sea & Jordan Valley

You're standing at the lowest point on earth ... this is how fascinating the experience is of visiting the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is not only the lowest point on earth, some 400 meters below sea level, and not only the most dramatic and moving landscapes in the world, but it also possesses a historical legacy of its own. It is believed to be the site offive biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebouin and Zoar .As the name suggests, the sea is really "dead," devoid of all kinds of lifedue to its extremely high content of salts and minerals. Its waters are about nine times as salty as the ocean and contain rich amounts of magnesium, potassium, calcium and various chlorides. It is this quality that gives the Dead Sea its cherished and highly demanded the rapeutic value.

Seaside facilities include a modern hotel with a therapeutic clinic, a restaurant and a bathing complex, ideal for medical treatment, a soothing mud massage, or a relaxing float in the salty water for anyone-and we mean anyone- since there is no risk of anyone sinking in the salty waters of the sea. And everyone can take a little of the Dead Sea home with them when they leave.

Madaba & Nebo

Jordan's vast wealth of historical and biblical sites make the country a most enchanting land. Its biblical treasure is most evident in Madaba, only an hour's drive from Amman." The City of Mosaics," Madaba boasts the magnificent, vivid, sixth- century Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other holy sites, originally made from more than two million small square colored stones.

The map is proudly displayed on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, built in 1896. Hundreds of other exceptional mosaics representing plants and animals everyday pursuits of hunting and farming, as well as scenes from Greco - Roman mythology are scattered throughout Madaba's old homes and churches, some of which are the oldest in the region and still in use. But this land of mosaics is still not discovered. The work of mosaic excavation and conservation is ongoing as many more riches are still awaiting to be discovered. Today, Madaba is also famous for the hand - woven rugs made of modern and traditional colors and designs in small street shops by Madaba's inhabitants. Situated some 10 kilometers from Madaba, and at an altitude of about 800 meters above sea level, is Mount Nebo, the presumed site of Moses' tomb and where he is thought to have viewed the Promised Land. The hilltop of Mount Nebo indeed commands a spectacular, breathtaking view across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, to the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem

Wadi Rum &
PETRA (((a world wonder)))

Vast, echoing, and God like - that is Wadi Rum, in the words of T. E. Jordan Valley who was based there during the Arab Revolt. With its awesome stretches of reddish sand, Wadi Rum is a vast, silent place that is both romantic and starkly beautiful. Massive mountains and rocks, in strange shapes and colors, seem to come out of nowhere everywhere you look. Engravings on the rocks and inside the natural caves indicate that the area was inhabited since the earliest known time. Today, this desert, overwhelming with its indescribable beauty, is home to several friendly, hospitable Bedouin tribes. The tribes are generous in sharing their beautiful home and always invite their visitors for a meal, followed by mint tea or cardamom coffee in their low slung black tents nestled in this paradise.

Wadi Rum is an ideal place for nature lovers, serious trekkers, casual hikers and adventurers fond of hot- air ballooning. Spring time is an ideal time to visit for naturalists, when rain brings out hundreds of species of wildflower .Traveling through the hills and canyons in this striking natural landscape on foot, by jeep or on camel- back throughout the day, and spending the night with the moon and the stars wrapping you with their warmth and beauty, is without a doubt a must.

Most treasured and Jordan's pride and joy, Petra stands proud and erect in the south of the Kingdom. The soul- stirring, mind-blowing, rose- red city of Petra is the legacy of the Anabaenas, an industrious Arab people who settled in south Jordan more than 2, 000 years ago. The Anabaena Kingdom lasted for many centuries, and Petra, at the time, became widely admired for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels.

It remains so to this very day, thousands of centuries later. The city of Petra was lost for 300 years, only to be re-discovered in 1812 by the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Today, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its art revered and respected, its architecture admired, its vastness awed, its beauty eternally famed. From the main entrance, you walk through the siq (chasm), which ripped through the rock in a prehistoric quake, only to betaken aback by beauty and immensity when your eyes first land on Petra's most famous monument, Al- Khazneh (the Treasury). This towering facade is only the first of Petra's secrets, treasures that are scattered around the city in abundance, from buildings, facades, tombs, baths and funerary halls to temples and haunting rock drawings. The majesty of the sites of Petra will be etched in your mind forever

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The 4th Jordanian and 3rd Pan Arab Congress in Physical Medicine, Arthritis and Rehabilitation
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