JORDAN

Historically known as Gadara , Umm Quais is one of Jordan' s most unique Greco-Roman Decapolis sites. Remnants of civilisation past solidly stand side by side . Greks, Romans , Byzantines and Ottomans settled here and left own marks. From the hillside , Umm Quais offers a beautiful panoramic view on the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberius) and the Golan Mountains.

Second only to Petra in tourist appeal, the ancient city of Jerash is one of the best preserved Roman provincial towns in the world . In the picture you can see Emperor Hadrian Triumphal Arch, a massive building which leads visitors into the town. If you make your way down the famous " Street of Columns" - the Roman Cardo- running 600 metres, then you' ll reach the wonderful Oval Plaza , surrounded by elegant columns . Very remarkable monuments are also Zeus Temple and the two Roman Theatres. Don't miss it in the sunset.

Vast, echoing and God-like these are the words T.E. Lawrence used in describing Wadi Rum . It is the largest and most magnificent of Jordan's desert landscape, but not the only one. The edged dunes of Wadi Arabah and Wadi Mujib are a wildlife reserve and Jordan's answer to Grand Canyon.Wadi Rum is like a moonscape of ancient valleys and towering sandstone mountains rising out of sands. If you want to enjoy Wadi Rum's colourful hills and canyons, you can try a camel ride with a Bedouin Guide or spend a night under the stars in a Bedouin tent. Most of Bedouins have settled in towns, yet low-slung black tents and pack of camels have not vanished from the landscape . We shared a meal and had a nice coffee with a family of Bedouins, great!!!

South from Amman , the 5,ooo- year-old King's Road leads you to the Holy Land, passing through a string of ancient cities. The first one is Madaba , the city of Mosaics. In the Greek-Orthodox church of st. George you can see the sixth- century Byzantine mosaic map of Palestine . With two million pieces of coloured stone, and a full 25x5 metres in its original state, the map depicts Jerusalem, Jericho, hills and valleys, Jordan river and villages of the Holy Land, as far away as the Nile Delta. There are other mosaic floors preserved throughout the town, as well as a local museum.

Our ultimate destination was the astonishing rose -red city of Petra built 600 BC. Hidden amongst the ancient canyons of Jordan's south, Petra is the most beautiful and glorious of Jordan's treasures , an eaternal tribute to a lost civilization. Carved entirely into the naturally pink- yellow-grey rocks, the remains of the once lost Nabatean city of Petra include temples, Roman theatres, monasteries, houses, tombs and roads.From the entrance a track leads you down the Siq-the narrow fissure that takes into Petra. Much of Petra 's appeal comes from its spectacular setting, deep inside a narrow gorge. Walking into the Siq, threading your way between high cliff walls, you pass inscriptions in ancient language (8ooo years- old graffiti) and rock- cut chambers carved into the whorls of sandstone. Petra's most famous monument , Al Khazneh, appears dramatically at the end of the Siq.

This towering and impressive facade is only the first of Petra's secrets. Various walks and climbs reveal hundreds of buildings, facades, tombs, baths and haunting rock drawings and reliefs. You find a 7ooo-seat theater (20 A. C.), a Palace Tomb in the Roman style, a gigantic First-century Deir (monastry), and what was belived to be the modest shrine of Aaron , brother of Moses, high atop Mount Aaron.

We italians are not so easy tourist,in our country we are used to have wonderful monuments everywhere.But Petra touched us deeply for its warm beauty,its mistery its colours,the sky and the breath of the desert surrounding everything.

AMMAN is the modern and ancient capital of Jordan. Formerly it was the Ammonites capital city of Rabbath-Ammon kingdom,and later the greco roman city called Philadelfia. Originally spread over sevenn hills like Rome ,Amman now covers at least nineteen hills and has two millions inhabitents.It is a city of contrast,a mixture of ancient and modern but there are not important monuments.