Wadi Rum is a beautiful red-sand desert valley located in southern Jordan 60 km to the east of Aqaba. This desert valley is formed by the natural erosion of sandstone and granite rocks and is also known as the Valley of the Moon. It is best known for its red-pink sands, prehistoric rock engravings, and stunning natural arches and mountains. For visitors, who are on a half or full day trips from Aqaba or Petra, Wadi Rum provides one of the safest and easiest glimpses of the desert in the region. This protected desert area is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This scenic area is famous for its amazing sunset scenes, which peek through the mountain and rock formations at various angles. Wadi Rum is less a sandy desert but more a mountain desert. The area includes several high peaks, the highest being Jabal Umm ad Dami, at over 6,000 feet, and the second highest peak is Jabal Ram that has an elevation of 5,689 feet above sea level. From the top of Jabal Umm ad Dami, it is possible to see the Red Sea and, on clear days, even the Saudi border.
Image Credit - Pixabay
Wadi Rum must be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence (T. E. Lawrence was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer). It is believed that during the First World War, T. E. Lawrence spent a significant amount of time here during the course of the British-inspired Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Since prehistoric times, Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures, It was once inhabited by the Nabataeans, who left their mark in the form of temples, graffiti, and rock paintings. In Wadi Rum, Khazali Canyon is the site of numerous Nabataean rock carvings into the cave walls featuring humans and animals especially antelopes dating back to the Thamudic times. The village of Wadi Rum is still home to several hundred Bedouin inhabitants now with more modern comforts such as concrete houses, goat-hair tents, and four-wheel vehicles. It also includes few shops and the headquarters of the Desert Patrol, and schools.
Image Credit - Pixabay
Wadi Rum is one of the most important tourist destinations of Jordan and attracts a large number of foreign tourists, especially trekkers and climbers. Wadi Rum is much less crowded than Petra and is truly a peaceful escape. There are several popular activities in the desert area, including riding Arabian horses, hiking and rock-climbing, camping under the stars, camel and horse safari. Among the main attractions of the Wadi Rum include Nabataean Temple, The Anfashieh Inscriptions, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Burdah Rock Bridge, Red Sand Dunes, Jebel Khazali, Lawrence's house, Lawrence's Spring and Jabal Umm Fruth Rock Bridge.
Image credit - Pixabay
Wadi Rum Desert area is very popular as a film set because it has been used as a background setting in many films. The movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Passion in the Desert, Red Planet, Prometheus, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Last Days on Mars, The Martian and Theeb were filmed here.
Wadi Rum must be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence (T. E. Lawrence was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer). It is believed that during the First World War, T. E. Lawrence spent a significant amount of time here during the course of the British-inspired Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Since prehistoric times, Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures, It was once inhabited by the Nabataeans, who left their mark in the form of temples, graffiti, and rock paintings. In Wadi Rum, Khazali Canyon is the site of numerous Nabataean rock carvings into the cave walls featuring humans and animals especially antelopes dating back to the Thamudic times. The village of Wadi Rum is still home to several hundred Bedouin inhabitants now with more modern comforts such as concrete houses, goat-hair tents, and four-wheel vehicles. It also includes few shops and the headquarters of the Desert Patrol, and schools.
Wadi Rum is one of the most important tourist destinations of Jordan and attracts a large number of foreign tourists, especially trekkers and climbers. Wadi Rum is much less crowded than Petra and is truly a peaceful escape. There are several popular activities in the desert area, including riding Arabian horses, hiking and rock-climbing, camping under the stars, camel and horse safari. Among the main attractions of the Wadi Rum include Nabataean Temple, The Anfashieh Inscriptions, Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Burdah Rock Bridge, Red Sand Dunes, Jebel Khazali, Lawrence's house, Lawrence's Spring and Jabal Umm Fruth Rock Bridge.
Wadi Rum Desert area is very popular as a film set because it has been used as a background setting in many films. The movies like Lawrence of Arabia, Passion in the Desert, Red Planet, Prometheus, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, The Last Days on Mars, The Martian and Theeb were filmed here.
Image Credit - Pixabay
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