Wadi Rum Desert

Wadi Rum Desert

The desert of Wadi Rum is one of the main tourist sights in Jordan. It gained popularity through the 1962 movie 'Lawrence of Arabia'.

17 February 2021

After the epic movie production that described the many journeys of a British officer during the Arab Revolt (1917 - 1918), several science-fiction productions came here to shoot an "out of this world" scenery.

Movies such as "Red Planet", "The Last Days on Mars", "The Martian", "Prometheus" and "Dune" used the vast landscape of this Jordan desert.

Rock formation at Wadi Rum

However, serving as a movie set and acting as a substitute for the planet Mars would not do justice to the unique landscape of Wadi Rum. Besides locals, filmmakers, and tourists, the geologists find themselves here in a kind of a "Disneyland of stones".

Highway to Wadi Rum

Located in the Sandstone Mountain and Valley Region of southern Jordan, the topography of the Wadi Rum region is characterized by tall, vertical-sided mountains separated by flatbottomed valleys containing alluvial sediments, aeolian sands, and salt pans.

Rock in the desert of Wadi Rum

Petroglyphs and archaeological remains in the 74'000-hectare sized area testify to more than 12'000 years of civilization. As a result, a combination of 25'000 rock carvings with over 20'000 inscriptions trace the evolution of human thought and the early development of the alphabet.

Scenic Wadi Rum

For tourists, there are a number of popular activities in the desert environment. These include 4x4 tours, camel rides, hiking, and rock-climbing among the massive rock formations. There are good overnight stay options in Bedouin Camps or in desert glamping hotels.

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