The Moon Like Desert

The area of Wadi Rum has been known as “part of the Golden Tourism Triangle in Jordan” since ancient times. It is said that its history extends back to more than 800 BC and was famous for its many springs and the abundance of hunting animals.

The area of Wadi Rum has been known as “part of the Golden Tourism Triangle in Jordan” since ancient times. It is said that its history extends back to more than 800 BC and was famous for its many springs and the abundance of hunting animals.

 As for the Arabs, they have inhabited this region since prehistoric times, and writings appeared to them in the period of the Nabatean Arabs, who left many inscriptions and temples dating back to the fourth century AD. The area of Wadi Rum was a road for Arab caravans coming from the island and Yemen to the Levant

Lawrence of Arabia movie and the tourism triangle

The people of the region are distinguished by the fact that they still retain the Bedouin customs and traditions, the Arab dress, and the breeding of camels, and all of this had disappeared from many regions of Jordan. Recently, a field for camel racing was established. The promotion of this area as a tourist destination began in the late eighties of the last century, after the movie "Lawrence of Arabia" was filmed there in the sixties.

A person who visits Wadi Rum can feel the serenity of nature in the Arabian desert, the fascinating calm and the natural beauty, especially if it is in the spring. Lawrence's famous book, "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom," includes a wonderful description of this vast valley with its breathtaking scenery, high mountains and soft sand.

Arab generosity

As for the inhabitants of the area, they are Bedouins who are hospitable and friendly, people of the Arab deserts. They set up poetry houses which spread throughout the region.

Do not be surprised when you pass by their racks if they invite you for a cup of tea or a cup of Arabic coffee scented with spices. And if you sit with them by the side of the blazing fire on a star-studded night, it will be a wonderful experience that the days will not erase.

There are a variety of exploration trips in Wadi Rum. Reaching the stone bridge in Burdah, which is the highest bridge in Wadi Rum, can pass through the Seven Pillars of Wisdom Road and other interesting tourist sites. This trip by car takes a whole day and on camelback it takes a whole day (day and night).

Campsite in Wadi Rum

The tourist there does not miss the views of the flat sand in the valley, which is three kilometers wide and is characterized by vertical walls of sandstone, a height of up to a thousand meters above the flat sandy surface. History has a share in this valley. In 1917, the Bedouin army, which was led by Sharif Faisal and assisted by British army officer T. Which. Lawrence, set up camp before moving out of the desert to seize the strategic port of Aqaba from the Ottoman Turks.

Another beauty of the valley

Lawrence described it in his book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, as one of the most amazing and beautiful deserts in the world. The red, brown and distinctive geographical shapes are full of colors and the deep valley that cuts those mountains. The land of Wadi Rum is also distinguished by its natural arches and bridges, and the rocks that take the shapes of mushrooms and are naturally carved by winds and erosion factors over the years.

Moon Valley

Rum is also called the Valley of the Moon due to the similarity of its terrain with that of the Moon. It is a tourist valley located in southern Jordan, 70 km north of the coastal city of Aqaba. Wadi Rum is the common name used in the media for the whole region. Although most of the tourist sites and camps are located outside the village of Rum.

The Wadi Rum region is characterized by relatively high mountains, with the highest mountain peaks in the southern Levant, namely Jabal Umm al-Dami and Jabal Ram. Wadi Rum is part of the Hasma region, an area characterized by the presence of high rocky mountains scattered in a wide sandy plain.