Charles Binns - Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Travel Photography

Jordan

All images (c) Charles Binns - Landscape Photography, Nature Photography, Travel Photography.

These are some photographs taken on a cycling trip around Jordan many years ago. Click on the thumbnails to see the full size image.

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is one of the most stunning desertscapes in the world, lying 320 km southwest of Amman and only 68 km north of Aqaba. Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18, and as the setting for the film that carried his name "Lawrence of Arabia".

Amman

Known originally as Philadelphia, Amman is the capital city of Jordan. The photo below is of the Roman amphitheatre.

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Jerash

In a remote, quiet valley among the mountains of Gilead lie the ruins of Jerash, at one time a city of the Decapolis.

In the second half of the first century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity. In AD 106, the Emperor Trajan constructed roads throughout the provinces and more trade came to Jerash. The Emperor Hadrian visited Jerash in AD 129-130. A remarkable Latin inscription records a religious dedication set up by members of the imperial mounted bodyguard "wintering" there. The Triumphal Arch (or Arch of Hadrian) was built to celebrate his visit.

Petra

Petra is an archaeological site in Jordan, lying in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Wadi Araba, the great valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is famous for having many stone structures carved into the rock. The descriptions of Strabo, Pliny the Elder, and other writers identify Petra as the capital of the Nabataeans , Arabic speaking Semetics, and the centre of their caravan trade.

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The Desert Castle Loop

Dotted throughout the steppe-like terrain of eastern Jordan and the central hills are numerous historic ruins, including castles, forts, towers, baths, caravan inns and fortified palaces. Known collectively as the desert castles or desert palaces, they were originally part of a chain stretching from north of Damascus down to Khirbet al-Mafjar, near Ariha (or Jericho).