The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. [1] Jordan accepted the convention on 5 May 1975, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2021, Six sites in Jordan are included. [2]
| Site | Image | Location | Criteria | Area ha (acre) | Year | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas) |  | Balqa Governorate 31°50′14″N35°33′10″E / 31.83722°N 35.55278°E | Cultural: (iii)(vi) | 294 (730) | 2015 | Situated on the Jordan River, Al-Maghtas is considered the location of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. A Christian pilgrimage site, it contains remains of Roman and Byzantine churches, chapels, a monastery, caves and pools. [5] |
| Petra |  | Ma'an Governorate 30°19′50″N35°26′36″E / 30.33056°N 35.44333°E | Cultural: (i)(iii)(iv) | 26,171 (64670) | 1985 | The Nabataean city of Petra was a major trading hub between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia, famed for its rock-cut architecture it is entirely made out of sandstone with more than 40 tombs as well as its mining and water engineering systems. [6] |
| Quseir Amra |  | Zarqa Governorate 31°48′7″N36°35′9″E / 31.80194°N 36.58583°E | Cultural: (i)(iii)(iv) | 0.0445 (0.101) | 1985 | The desert castle of Quseir Amra was built in the early 8th century, and had served both as a fortress and an Umayyad royal palace. The site also noted for its extensive frescoes, constituting an important and unique example of early Islamic art. [7] |
| Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a) |  | Madaba Governorate 31°30′6″N35°55′14″E / 31.50167°N 35.92056°E | Cultural: (i)(iv)(vi) | 24 (59) | 2005 | Established as a Roman military camp, Um er-Rasas grew into a settlement by the 5th century, inhabited successively by Christian and Islamic communities. The largely unexcavated site contains ruins of Roman fortifications, churches with mosaic floors illustrating many cities of the region and two stylite towers. [8] |
| Wadi Rum Protected Area |  | Aqaba Governorate 29°38′23″N35°26′02″E / 29.63972°N 35.43389°E | Mixed: (iii)(v)(vii) | 74,180 (183,300) | 2011 | Situated in southern Jordan, Wadi Rum features a great variety of desert landforms including sandstone valleys, natural arches, gorges, cliffs, landslides and caverns. The site also contains extensive rock art, inscriptions and archaeological remains, bearing witness to more than 12,000 years of continuous human habitation. [9] |
| As-Salt - The Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality |  | Balqa Governorate 32°02′21″N35°43′33″E / 32.03917°N 35.72583°E | Cultural: (ii)(iii) | 24.68 (61.0) | 2021 | Established on three closely-spaced hills in the Balqa (region), As-Salt was the main settlement on the East Bank of the Jordan River that served as a cultural, commercial and financial hub. This prosperity allowed for the influx of people from the region who settled in As-Salt, creating a distinct city built with yellow limestone that had European Art Nouveau and Neo-Colonial styles combined with local traditions. [10] [11] |
In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. [12] As of 2021, Jordan lists fourteen properties on its tentative list: [13]
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Abila City (Modern Qweilbeh) | 2001 |
| Al Qastal (Settlement) | 2001 |
| Azraq | 2007 |
| Dana Biosphere Reserve | 2007 |
| Gadara (Modern Um Qeis or Qays) | 2001 |
| Jerash Archaeological City (Ancient Meeting Place of East and West) | 2004 |
| Mujib Nature Reserve | 2007 |
| Pella (Modern Tabaqat Fahil) | 2001 |
| Qasr Al-Mushatta | 2001 |
| Qasr Bshir (a Roman Castellum) | 2001 |
| Shaubak Castle (Montreal) | 2001 |
| The Sanctuary of Agios Lot, At Deir 'Ain 'Abata | 2001 |
| Umm al-Jimal | 2018 |
| The Jordanian ḥarrah | 2019 |
Umm ar-Rasas, ancient name: Kastron Mefa'a, is located 30 km southeast of Madaba in the Amman Governorate in central Jordan. It was once accessible by branches of the King's Highway, and is situated in the semi-arid steppe region of the Jordanian Desert. The site has been associated with the biblical settlement of Mephaat mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. The Roman military utilized the site as a strategic garrison, but it was later converted and inhabited by Christian and Islamic communities. In 2004, the site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is valued by archaeologists for its extensive ruins dating to the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods. The Franciscan academic society in Jerusalem, Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (SBF), carried out excavations at the north end of the site in 1986, but much of the area remains buried under debris.
Jordan is a sovereign Arab state in the Middle East. The capital, Amman, is Jordan's most populous city as well as the country's economic, political and cultural centre.
Al-Maghtas, officially known as Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan", is an archaeological World Heritage Site in Jordan, on the east bank of the Jordan River, considered to be the original location of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist and venerated as such since at least the Byzantine period. The place has also been referred to as Bethabara and historically Bethany.
The architecture of Jordan has been subject to vast development, specifically in the final years of the twentieth century. Jordan is a semi-arid country located in the Middle East. Its location has great significance to Christians, Muslims and Jews as it is considered part of the Holy Land.
