One of the few towns along the Desert Hwy is Qatrana, a couple of kilometres north of the turn-off to Karak and a former stop on the pilgrim road between Damascus and Mecca. The only reason to stop here (if you have your own transport) is to have a quick look at Qatrana Castle, built in 1531 by the Ottomans. It has been nicely restored, but there are no explanatory boards.
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18.03 MILES
The minimal ruins of this Roman temple date from the end of the 3rd century AD (two niches contained statues of the Roman emperors Diocletian and…
19.13 MILES
The Umm Ar Rasas site spans the expansive ruins of Kastron Mefaa (mentioned in the Bible as the Roman military outpost of Mephaath). The ruins encompass…
19.21 MILES
The ruined Church of St Stephen, protected by a large hangar, is one of four churches in the original village of Umm Ar Rasas. Inside, the magnificent…
20.24 MILES
This fine statue of the Muslim hero Saladin (Salah ad Din) sits in the middle of a roundabout at the bottom of the town's main shopping street. Astride a…
20.49 MILES
This fantastic Crusader stronghold, and later Mamluk fortress, is the reason to visit Karak. Throughout the castle, boards give detailed descriptions of…
26.87 MILES
Easily the most impressive of the lesser-known castles, Tuba lies approximately 75km southeast of Amman and captures the sense of a staging post on long…
27.35 MILES
The neglected ruins of the 2000-year-old Nabataean temple of Khirbet Tannour are worth the hike up the hill for the view, if nothing else. A famous statue…