Jordan - JO - JOR - JOR - Middle East

The Northern Tetrapylon in ancient Jerash was built around A.D. 180 and dedicated to Julia Domna, the second wife of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, who reigned from A.D. 193-211. A tetrapylon is a type of ancient monument, cubic-shaped, with a gate on each of its four sides, and built at a significant crossroad or geographical focal point.

A lone tree in the cliffs overlooking Petra.

The ruins at Petra are justifiably famous worldwide and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom, which flourished from the third century B.C. until its incorporation into the Roman Empire in A.D. 106. The photo shows one of Petra's most elaborate buildings, the "Treasury" (Al-Khazneh), which was carved into the red-hued cliff face in the 2nd century B.C. In actuality, the structure was likely the mausoleum of a Nabatean king.

The ruins at Petra are famous worldwide and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom, which flourished from the third century B.C. until its incorporation into the Roman Empire in A.D. 106. The photo shows the "Monastery" (El-Deir) at Petra. While many roles have been proposed for the building, its exact function has yet to be determined.

Rest stop at Petra.

An ancient and worn staircase in Petra.

The Street of Facades in Petra is made up of 44 tombs.

The "Monastery" (El-Deir) at Petra.

Sunset over the Dead Sea.

Aerial view of Amman.

A view of downtown Amman as seen from the Citadel.

A hookah shop in Amman.

Headscarf shop in Amman.

A spice shop in Amman.

A Bedouin village in southern Jordan.

The Jordan Museum is located in the Ras al-‘Ayn area of Amman. The museum’s 10,000 sq m (108,000 sq ft) building covers 1.5 million years of Jordanian history and archaeology, starting from the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) to the present and even projecting into the future. Using over 2,000 artifacts, graphics, and specially designed materials, the exhibits explore Jordan’s history through nine major themes: the environment, food production and processing, visual art and architecture, cultural exchange and trade, politics and the military, communication and writing, industry, religion, and daily domestic life in Jordan throughout the ages. Besides its exhibitions, the Jordan Museum also serves as a research center.

A view of Amman and the Roman Theater. The theater is located in the eastern part of the city on a hill opposite the Amman Citadel. The Roman Theater was built between A.D. 138 and 161 in honor of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. With a northerly oriented design to keep the sun off the audience, the theater could seat up to 6,000 people who were separated by status, gender, and nationality. The Jordanian Government started restoring the theatre in 1957 and today it is open to visitors and hosts many local events. The Roman Theater also houses the Amman Folklore Museum and the Amman Museum of Popular Traditions, both located in a series of rooms behind the two ground-level entrances.

The Amman Citadel, located in the heart Amman on one of the seven hills that comprise the city, shows the long history of occupation of this region by many of the great civilizations of the world. Most of the buildings still visible at the locale are from the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods. Archaeologists have worked at the site since the 1920s, but a great part of the Citadel remains unexcavated. Pictured here is part of the Roman-era hand of Hercules, all that remains of a massive statue that once stood 13 m (43 ft) tall at the temple honoring him. An inscription dates the temple’s construction to the term of the Roman Governor Geminius Marcianus (A.D. 161-166).

Another view of the Temple of Hercules on the Amman Citadel.

Some of the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, present-day Jerash.

The Arch of Hadrian was built to honor the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to Jerash (then called Gerasa) in the winter of A.D. 129-130. The arch is 11 m high (36 ft), 37.45 m long (122 ft), and 9.25 m wide (30 ft wide). To the left and behind the arch is the Hippodrome, where chariot races were held.

The Forum was the center of civic life in every ancient Roman city. The columns in the Forum of ancient Jerash (known as Gerasa in Roman times) would have supported a roof, providing a shaded arcade for the public.

Built around A.D. 90-92 during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, the South Theater of ancient Jerash - still in use today - seats more than 3,000 spectators. The theater is known for its incredible acoustics that allows a speaker standing at the center of the orchestra floor to be heard throughout the entire auditorium while speaking in a normal tone. The first level of the stage, originally a two-story structure, was subsequently reconstructed. In the background one can see a snippet of the modern city of Jerash.

The Northern Tetrapylon in ancient Jerash was built around A.D. 180 and dedicated to Julia Domna, the second wife of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, who reigned from A.D. 193-211. A tetrapylon is a type of ancient monument, cubic-shaped, with a gate on each of its four sides, and built at a significant crossroad or geographical focal point.