Jordan

Jordan sits at a crossroads of ancient civilisations. The Nabataeans, Arab traders who controlled incense and spice routes, carved their capital, Petra, into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs from around the fourth century BC. Rome annexed their kingdom in 106 AD. Amman, ancient Philadelphia, has a well-preserved Roman theatre in its centre. Christian Byzantine mosaics, early Islamic desert castles and Crusader fortresses followed. Petra was largely forgotten by the outside world until the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt reached it in disguise in 1812. In the twentieth century, the Arab Revolt against Ottoman rule, which T. E. Lawrence joined, crossed Wadi Rum, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan became independent in 1946.

Jordanian hospitality is legendary: you may be offered sweet tea or cardamom coffee within minutes of meeting someone. The national dish, mansaf, is lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yoghurt and served over rice, traditionally eaten by hand from a shared platter. Try falafel and hummus in Amman, and knafeh, a hot cheese pastry soaked in syrup, for dessert. Bedouin traditions remain strong in the desert. Friday is the weekly day of rest, and modest dress is appreciated, especially outside Amman.