The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, despite being poor in water and oil, is rich in hospitality and tourist attractions, particularly Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World – it is also the safest country in the Middle East.
Jordanians are warm, kind, and welcoming people. Wherever we went, we were greeted warmly. Our guide, Samer Khasseb, gave us a special welcome at the airport, waiting with gifts – bottled water and traditional Jordanian sweets. Visas are issued at the airport and are valid for a month. When people heard we were from Serbia, they eagerly shared what they knew about our country. Many Jordanians studied in Belgrade and Zagreb during the former Yugoslavia, and we met some of them while walking around Amman. They approached us, asked where we were from, and were thrilled to engage in conversation, with some even happily speaking Serbian.
The key challenge for both Jordanians and tourists is the lack of water. It’s often emphasized that they are poor in water and oil, which they import from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
All roofs of houses and buildings are flat to accommodate large water tanks used for technical purposes. Water is distributed through the water system every Friday, and each family knows exactly how much they receive. If someone uses more, they pay a high surcharge for additional quantities. Refilling one tank with about 4 to 6,000 liters of water costs around $100.The technical water is filtered from the Red Sea, while for drinking, only bottled water is recommended. A liter costs half a euro in stores, two euros in restaurants, and a small half-liter bottle at tourist attractions is 1.5 euros. On the plane, a half-liter bottle costs three euros.
For heating, homes use gas, but due to high costs, it is used sparingly, leaving homes quite cold. Hotels heat rooms with air conditioning or heaters, and tourists visiting this time of year are often surprised to find no radiators and cooler temperatures at night. Electricity is generated through solar panels and wind turbines.
Amman, the capital and largest city of Jordan, has a population of about 4.5 million. There are no subways, trams, or trolleybuses, and people get around by minibuses, buses, taxis, and personal cars. There are also traffic jams, especially during the morning and afternoon rush hours, similar to Belgrade, but no one is angry, no one is hysterical, no one honks, everything flows calmly. At traffic lights and pedestrian crossings, it’s advisable to signal with your hand when you want to cross the street, and the same applies to crossing outside designated areas. The streets are filled with modern cars, and the government is working to reduce air pollution by encouraging the use of hybrid vehicles. Gasoline costs one Jordanian dinar per liter, and for one euro, you get 0.75 dinars (100 euros equals 75 Jordanian dinars). Working hours in Jordan vary. Public institutions work from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, while the private sector operates from 9 am until midnight or even later, sometimes running 24/7, particularly in clinics, hospitals, and certain stores.
Our guide Samer explained that Jordanians still greatly admire Saddam Hussein, "He’s one of the most beloved leaders in neighboring countries here." Samer shared that when Jordan needed help, Saddam Hussein sent oil for free and even supplied electricity to Jordan. To this day, his picture can be seen on cars or in shops. Besides him, the most beloved figures among Jordanians are former King Hussein and the current King Abdullah II. King Abdullah’s mother is British, so he spends a lot of time in the UK, and Jordan enjoys strong support from Britain. King Abdullah also has several residences in Jordan, with the main one in Amman. His wife, Queen Rania, is considered the most beautiful queen in the world by Jordanians and is seen as a symbol of Jordan, fighting for women's rights. She has numerous foundations, especially supporting people with disabilities by organizing workshops where they can work, particularly in mosaic making. Thanks to Queen Rania, women in Jordan are well protected, and they have even gained the right to divorce their husbands if they are unhappy in marriage. Queen Rania, born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, is seen as a significant figure in promoting women's rights in Jordan. It is believed that the entire dynasty of Jordanian kings descends from the Prophet Muhammad, and that the current King Abdullah II is the 41st generation of the Prophet Muhammad's descendants.
Arab, specifically Jordanian families, particularly fathers—90 percent of them—want their sons to stay in the family home. They don’t like them going away, and they always prepare apartments for their sons or build houses with flat roofs so that their sons can easily continue building and provide the necessary space for their family.
Jordan is crisscrossed by three main highways: the Desert Highway connecting Syria to the Saudi border, the Dead Sea Road, and the King’s Highway, which connects Petra and the Wadi Rum desert.
As we traveled through Jordan, we noticed that when Bedouins wave a tray at passing cars, it’s an invitation to stop for tea or coffee. It’s a custom in Jordan to serve guests tea, coffee, juice, and sweets. If a guest doesn’t drink anything, it means they are not welcome to return. Guests are expected to respect their hosts by drinking what’s offered, typically while sitting on the floor.
When we sit next to each other, we must keep our legs together, and we must not raise our legs. If someone accidentally raises their leg in front of the host, it means the host has the right to immediately throw them out of the house, and they will never be welcome again. This is seen as disrespect towards the host, especially if the sole of the raised foot is shown. In the Arab sitting position, or when sitting on couches, we sit on our knees, not with crossed legs. By following the rules, the guest shows respect for the host. Of course, there are also rules that the host must follow, such as when serving coffee, tea, or juice, it should be poured from the right hand into the left. If the host pours with the left hand, the guest may leave immediately and feel offended," our guide
We were particularly interested to learn if anything has changed in the traditional rules of marriage.
If a young man wants to marry, his family will visit the potential bride’s family. The men talk to the men, and the women to the women, in separate rooms. If the groom or his father does not find the bride suitable, they drink only half a cup of coffee and leave the cup on the table, signaling that they are not interested. If they like the bride, they drink the whole cup and ask for more. In some Bedouin families, it’s customary not to allow the groom to see the bride’s face, presenting her fully veiled with only her eyes visible.
When getting married, the rule is that young men pay between five and ten thousand Jordanian dinars if the bride has not been previously married. If she has been divorced, then only half the amount is paid
Legal matters in Jordan are decided by the Sharia court, located in a grand building in Amman called the Palace of Justice. We were particularly interested in the treatment of women and how cases of adultery are handled. In such cases, if it goes to court, her father and husband are present, and a discussion is held. Witnesses are needed to confirm and prove the adultery. The testimony of one man or two women is required, as a woman is considered half of a witness. Witnesses before the Sharia court place their hand on the Quran and swear that they saw her cheating on her husband. If it is proven to be true, the husband decides the punishment. There is generally no forgiveness for adultery, and the punishment is death. As a result, adultery rarely happens. If a husband cheats on his wife, he also goes to court and is usually fined. Jordanian men claim they don't cheat on their wives because there is no need—they can have up to four wives at the same time.
When it comes to other crimes, such as murder, the death penalty follows—an eye for an eye, and there are no objections. Our guide says that Jordanian women are very jealous and that women hold the main authority in the household. The husband's obligation is only to work and contribute. If a husband lacks resources, the women have no patience. Women from the Balkans are much more flexible and understanding than Arab women, he say.
I have a friend who lives with three women and bitterly regrets marrying more than one. Each one wants all the monthly resources, and it’s difficult to manage. Thus, there are fewer marriages with multiple women. However, as Samer says, the two weakest points of Arabs are: money and women. They refer to beautiful women as 'kunafa.' The term is derived from the name of a traditional sweet pastry called kunefe.
Our interlocutors and hosts in Jordan explained that there are no homosexuals among them. In ancient times, between the fifth and sixth centuries, the penalties for homosexuality were strict. If it was determined, with witnesses in the process, that someone was homosexual, the punishment was to throw that person from the highest peak.
Education in Jordan is mandatory and lasts 12 grades, combining both primary and secondary school. The king has provided for the best students (similar to our top achievers – so called „ vukovci“) to study for free, at the state’s expense, at any university in the world. They are free to return and work in Jordan or to work in other countries if they choose. Jordanians strive to be as educated as possible.
Jordanian citizens have health insurance that is covered by the state. There are many public, domestic, as well as private and foreign hospitals and clinics. Many people from the rest of the Arab world and Africa come to Jordan for treatment because there are excellent doctors for cancer treatment, great surgeons, and dentists here.
The average salary in Jordan is 350 Jordanian dinars or around 500 euros, which is insufficient for a normal family life. Jordanian families are large, averaging 7-8 members, and to live decently, a minimum of 1,200 Jordanian dinars is necessary. Renting an apartment costs between 250 and 700 Jordanian dinars per month, plus bills for electricity and water. The price per square meter for an apartment when buying is about 1,500 JD. Apartments in Jordan are mostly three-bedroom, four-bedroom, or larger, due to the large family sizes and the custom of having separate rooms and privacy for everyone, plus a guest room. Thus, it is quite challenging for young men to afford all of this when they decide to get married.
During this time of year, the climate in Jordan can be described as mild. Temperatures range from slightly below 10 degrees to an average of 18 degrees. Tropical heat begins in late May and lasts until mid-September, with temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees. In the desert, temperatures can exceed 50 degrees, and Aqaba is the hottest place, even going above 56 degrees. Officially, this is not confirmed, and they always claim it’s 46 or 47 degrees. At night during this period, temperatures hover around 30 degrees.
The main and most developed sector of the economy in Jordan is tourism. The most visitors come to see the Archaeological Park of Petra, which has become a world attraction. Petra was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, with tourist visits starting in 1994. Many lines have been written about Petra—its fascinating rocks and colors, tombs, temples, and treasuries. We wanted to discover who the inhabitants and builders of Petra were and what the world knows about them today. According to researchers' findings, 5,000 years ago, the Red Sea was in this area, and everything we see was at the bottom of the sea. The multicolored rocks we observe are sandstone, which was easy to carve and shape. It is believed that the Nabataeans, a vanished civilization, lived in Petra and carved nearly everything we see. Finds and discoveries on site have shown that the Nabataeans were advanced and skilled constructors. They designed the city plan and everything they built themselves, carving from the top down. Even back then, they had a system for filtering water and a drainage canal, like a water supply system, the remnants of which are still visible today—there are two water channels, the left one for drinking water and the right one for animals. They also had marble pipes that ran through this channel, which can still be seen today. The canyon itself was managed with certain dams to protect the city from floods.
The Nabataeans came to the area of Petra from the northern regions of Saudi Arabia. They crossed the Wadi Rum desert, leaving behind many signposts and remnants carved into the rocks that testify to this. They are believed to have been Arabs because they used Arabic names. They had their own script.
According to archaeologists who have researched Petra, the Nabataeans disappeared by the end of the second century, and the Romans took over the entire Nabataean kingdom. A lot of documentation related to the life of the Nabataeans and their empire has been taken to the Vatican. Among these artifacts is the oldest written document. Interestingly, all the documents found in Jordan are now in the Vatican, not in the Petra museum or any other Jordanian institution. During the duration of the Nabataean kingdom, six kings reigned. Harith IV built the main treasury as a sign of love for his wife, Queen Shaqila. At the same time, he also prepared a tomb for her. Indeed, she died before him. For some time now, entry for tourists to the treasury has been prohibited—the Jordanian authorities banned it because tourists were writing graffiti on the walls and causing damage.
The paths (roads) that are walked on in some parts of Petra are Roman cobblestones laid over Nabataean ones. The original Nabataean floor is six meters below the surface. The narrowest part of the canyon is about 5-6 meters wide, while the widest is 15 meters, with the canyon height ranging from 60 to 90 meters.
In addition to the main treasury dedicated to the Nabataean queen Shaqila, many remnants of other structures can be seen within the canyon that speak to the lifestyle of this people. A special impression is made by the Girl's Temple— the place where the Nabataeans got married. The Nabataean court palace and a prison have also been discovered. In the canyon, remains of a Byzantine church can be seen, which has preserved many authentic mosaics and other structures that testify to the presence of the Romans.
Archaeologists assert based on field findings that the Nabataean kings lived separately from the rest of the population. They had two-story tombs and the practice of preparing their graves and sepulchers before death. They slept in the upper part and buried their deceased in the lower part. The dead were wrapped in shrouds and they used incense for the scent. There was also a division between the rich and the poor in terms of location and lifestyle.
The Nabateans were polytheists, believing in three gods, the main one being the god Dushara, along with Al-Uzza and Al-Lat. They prayed while looking up. The figure of the god Dushara is depicted in the rocks and has been preserved to this day.
The Romans entered the Nabatean kingdom peacefully at the end of the first century AD, without war. The Nabateans trusted the Romans. Legend has it that the Romans allegedly found some gold on the way to the Nabatean kingdom. They told the Nabateans about it, and supposedly most of the Nabateans went in search of treasure. None of them returned, which is why they are considered a lost civilization. There is no information on what happened to them. The minority that remained joined the Romans. After taking over the Nabatean kingdom, the Romans built their temples, so today there are many remnants of Roman buildings and monuments in Petra. They even had a Cardo Maximus street in Petra, just like in other Roman cities of that era. By the end of the second century, the Romans themselves realized that there was no benefit in being in this enclosed city, so they abandoned the city, and Petra was left without civilization.
A special adornment of Petra is the Jordanian Bedouins who live there or come for the tourists. They sell various handicrafts and souvenirs, make juices, and offer camels, horses, and donkeys for riding.
In the 1990s, Jordanian King Hussein had the idea to relocate the Bedouins from Petra, so he built an organized urban settlement—a Bedouin village—on an elevated area above the complex, providing them with everything for free—housing, food, education, healthcare... He believed it would be less of a nuisance to tourists if they were moved from this area. However, the Bedouins do not like the new lifestyle offered to them and return to Petra. Some have gone back to the caves and continued living in the old way. In the summer, there are quite a few of them in Petra.
During our stay in Petra, we were hosted in a Bedouin house-cave, where we had lunch according to Bedouin customs. It was prepared with chicken, rice, and peanuts, served on a large oval plate, from which we all ate together—we each received our own spoon and bread that was most similar to a tortilla. We sat and ate on the floor of the guest room, which, although in a cave, was spacious and well-lit.
It is not recommended to visit Petra in July, August, or September because it is too hot. Besides temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius, it can also be very humid. All revenue earned from tickets in Petra goes solely to Petra. An individual ticket for Petra costs 55 Jordanian dinars, which is about 70 euros, and is valid for two days. Tickets are purchased with a passport to prevent misuse, and the names of visitors are printed on them. For the "Petra by Night" events, an additional fee of 17 Jordanian dinars is charged, which is about 23 euros (depending on the exchange rate). This is a particularly attractive program for tourists, where candles light the path to the treasury. Performances, shows, or musical acts—such as playing the “rebab” string instrument or violin—are also conducted.
And to remind how Petra was discovered – Swiss archaeologist John Burkhardt was in the area of Egypt in 1812. He was researching the pyramids, living with Bedouins, and knew the Arabic language. At one point, he came to the regions of Jordan and met the Jordanian Bedouins, who led him to Petra. Petra had been a hidden city for over 1000 years.
A special experience in encountering Jordan is the Wadi Rum desert, home to around 3,000 Bedouins, and now there are over 200 camps where tourists are accommodated. The rule is that only Bedouins and indigenous people who came from Saudi Arabia have the right to build a camp. The state rents them land, which used to cost only one Jordanian dinar, but as tourism progressed, the price increased, and now it costs 1,000 Jordanian dinars to purchase a piece of land. To build a camp, an investment of between 300,000 to 1 million Jordanian dinars is needed. Throughout the desert, there are many Bedouin houses and farms where they grow watermelons.
Jordanians consider the watermelons from Wadi Rum to be the sweetest, and they say it is because the water is very close, at about 7-8 meters deep; if you dig, you reach the water. The areas in Wadi Rum are rich in phosphor, which Jordan exports worldwide.
In the camp where we stayed, the hosts prepared lunch in a special way – according to a tradition called Zerb. They cooked lamb and chicken by arranging the meat in several layers and lowering it into a specially prepared hole in the sand, which was then covered. After a few hours, the lunch is dug up in front of curious tourists and served.
Movies have been filmed in the settings of this desert – Aladdin, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, and scenes from the Serbian film Sveti Petka were also shot in this area. The current Jordanian king supports the idea of having more film crews shoot in these locations.
In the desert itself, there are many animals – eagles, falcons, foxes, hyenas, jackals, many venomous snakes, scorpions, small gazelles, oryx deer, and camels. Camels are the symbol of the Arab nation. They are protected animals. The milk they produce is reserved exclusively for men, as it is considered one of the best natural aphrodisiacs. The season for camel milk is in March, so the Bedouins store the milk they collect to have it throughout the year. Eating camel meat is also permitted. These animals live for 25 to 30 years. Each camel has a name. The most popular name for a female camel is Fatima. Camels are considered loyal and emotional animals; once they bond as a pair, they stay together for life. When a female dies, the male often dies soon after, and vice versa. The favorite food of camels is thorns. There are also many wild camels that live without owners, but most are owned by Bedouins.
Jordan's only access to the sea is the port city of Aqaba, which was obtained through a territorial exchange with Saudi Arabia, which gifted Aqaba to Jordan in return for a part of the desert. It is in that part of the desert given to Saudi Arabia that oil was found. Aqaba was also the main port for the Nabateans. The Gulf of Aqaba is divided among four countries: Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. (Jordanians often refer to Israel as "the neighbors" and frequently emphasize that Palestine is in their hearts). Aqaba is popular among Jordanians. They typically come here for vacations and weekends to relax. Jordanians also vacation at the Dead Sea during the off-season of tropical heat, but for longer vacations and summers, they go to Turkey. Now, after the earthquake in Turkey, many people who had planned vacations there are expected to come to Jordan, Egypt, or Morocco. In the center of Aqaba, there is a large shopping district where you can buy anything you can think of. Prices are determined by haggling.
If you decide to vacation in Aqaba, you should know that you can swim at the slightly distant beaches designated for tourists, not on the central city beaches which are reserved for the local population.We also checked the claim that the Dead Sea is salty or dense enough that swimmers cannot sink. The salinity is 33 percent. The water is excessively salty, bitter, and oily. By the way, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth at minus 436 meters. The air in the Dead Sea area is cleaner, and people in this region tend to live much longer.
If you find yourself in Jordan, don't miss the opportunity to visit the ruins of the Roman city of Jerash, founded in 63 BC, located near Amman. Then, there's the Jordan River, which is the most significant pilgrimage site for Christians. In 2012, the Pope declared the Jordan River the holiest and most important site for Christian pilgrimage. There is also Mount Nebo, mentioned in the Bible as the place from which Moses viewed the Promised Land.In Amman itself, you can visit some shopping centers or countless small shops and markets, where you can buy local spices, souvenirs, scarves, and anything else you desire. Tourists, particularly men, often buy suits. A quality suit costs around 45 to 50 Jordanian dinars, which is about 70 to 75 euros. While walking through the old town, you'll encounter offers of various drinks and sweets, and we recommend that you don't miss trying sugarcane juice. Chestnuts and chickpeas are roasted at street stalls. We also recommend visiting the Citadel in Amman, the Roman amphitheater in the old part of the city, which houses the Museum of Folklore and the Ethnographic Museum, King Abdullah I Mosque, and the Coptic Church. The center of New Amman is particularly attractive, with its skyscrapers, shopping mall, and well-maintained boulevard.
Interview: Samer Khasseb, Tour Guide in Jordan
Samer Khasseb was our guide and travel companion in Jordan, serving as a link to connect with the Jordanians. All tourists from the former Yugoslavia are fascinated when they meet Samer because he speaks Serbian perfectly, in addition to Arabic and English. He was born in Belgrade and spent the first 20 years of his life in the Serbian capital, where he completed primary and secondary school. His mother is also from Belgrade, while her parents are originally from Bosnia. His father is from Jordan.
-My mother studied medicine, and my father studied cybernetics at FON. They met in the 1980s. I was born in Belgrade in 1986. I also have a younger brother from that marriage. He lives in Belgrade, is married to our Serbian sister-in-law, and has a son, Samer tells us.
-My parents divorced when I was three years old, and my brother was one. My mother now lives and works in Dubai. My brother and I grew up with our mother in Belgrade, while our father returned to Jordan and remarried multiple times. Every year, we spend our vacations with our mother in the Emirates.
Samer first went to Jordan when he was 20 years old, and he stayed in the country for about a month and a half. His journey took him to the Arab Emirates, as he was already playing football and an opportunity arose to pursue this sport professionally. He played in the first Emirati league for the club Al Wasel Dubai, where Maradona was the coach at that time.After nearly seven years of playing, when he suffered a serious injury, he decided to end his professional career as an active player after a long recovery. He underwent the necessary education and procedures and now holds a football coaching license. He also completed a college program in tourism management in the UK.
-After that, I worked in a couple of private companies. Then I met sheikh Sultan, the sheikh of the city of Sharjah in the Arab Emirates, and we became friends. I worked for him for about five years as a business control manager for his real estate. Then came the pandemic, and I decided to move to Jordan in 2020. I started working in the profession I had studied for. I came up with the idea to help people from the former Yugoslavia come and visit Jordan to experience its culture. I have my own agency, Jordan Whisper, and I collaborate with the Belgrade-based Jungle Travel. In the two years we've been working together, we’ve had around 50 tourist groups travel through Jordan. Our goal is to expand the business to all Balkan countries and Slovenia.
What are your impressions of the encounters between tourists from the former Yugoslav countries and this part of the world?
-Jordan leaves a big impression on the people who visit. Many tourists return, and many have come individually. They wanted to see much more of Jordan. There’s Petra, one of the world’s wonders and a major attraction in Jordan. We also have other tourist treasures in Jordan, such as Jerash – a Greco-Roman city, the Wadi Rum desert, and Amman, the capital of Jordan, which has been part of both the Roman and Islamic empires. Tourists are satisfied and come back. Short trips are not enough to see all of Jordan.
How easy or difficult is it to travel to Jordan individually, or is it better to go with an agency?
-It’s easier with agencies; group tours are much better in my opinion because people get to see all of Jordan from north to south. It’s also very easy to travel individually. Jordan is not a complicated country. The procedure is very simple. For Serbia and all the Balkan countries of the former Yugoslavia, a visa is obtained at the airport immediately upon arrival. People who come individually find many websites that organize individual travel—everything can be arranged, from car rentals to entire programs, depending on what the travelers like to see.
When someone arrives in Jordan individually, are they free to go wherever they want, or do they have to check in somewhere?
-They don’t have to do anything; they are free to go wherever they want. After obtaining a visa at the airport, they can go wherever they want to see what they want. Jordan is one of the safest countries in the Middle East.
How does intercity transportation work in Jordan?
-In Jordan, mini buses are used for local destinations and connecting smaller towns, with about 20 passengers. For trips to places like Aqaba or Petra, we have larger buses, passenger buses with about 50 seats.
When we talk about individuals coming to Jordan, how can they navigate?
-They can find everything. There are taxis from the airport, and there are also bus services. They can get to the main station or to the place where a specific individual will be based in Amman. From there, they can take a taxi. Local people use those mini buses. The passenger buses are different; there’s a main station in Amman from which they can be transported to Petra or Aqaba, for example.
How many people come organized versus independently?
-Tourists tend to come more organized. People like everything to be prepared. They don’t like to organize everything themselves and hassle with it. In that sense, a higher percentage comes through agencies, about 70 percent, while 30 percent of visitors to Jordan come independently.
I heard that this year, tourism workers in Jordan want to break the record for visitors?
-That’s right. In 2019, over a million visitors came to Petra. Due to COVID, that number was lower in the previous period. However, in 2022, there were about 850,000 tourists who visited Petra. We expect a tourism explosion in Jordan in 2023, breaking the previous record.
Has anything been done based on this idea?
-Both the Jordanian authorities and tourist agencies are starting to promote Jordan to the whole world, primarily inviting people to visit Petra. The news is spreading that Jordan is renovating Petra and organizing efforts to improve the entire Petra complex. My personal main goal is to bring as many people from the Balkans, especially from Serbia since I was born there, to visit Jordan and Petra. There’s something similar between Jordanians and Serbia or the former Yugoslavia—there’s a similar mentality. Many Jordanians have married Serbian women and even studied in Serbia in the 1980s, like my father. As far as I know, around 7,000 to 8,000 Jordanians studied in Serbia. In Amman, we have a former Yugoslavia club where everyone who studied in Serbia and other republics of the former SFRY gathers. They have special days for gatherings, playing cards, chess, dominoes, and all the social games they learned in Serbia. Their wives are also present and listen to Serbian folk music. At the entrance to the club, there are flags from the former Yugoslavia.
Do you come to Serbia, to Belgrade?
-I come to Serbia whenever I can, especially in the summer when it’s very hot in Jordan, so I relax in July, August, and September. It should be noted that we also have a rainy season that starts at the end of December and lasts until February. This is the period when the reservoirs in Jordan fill up. It rains across all of Jordan, including in the desert. In some areas, there’s even snow.
But on top of the world
On one of the mountain peaks in Petra, the Nabataeans had a sacrificial altar. The path to the altar is very difficult and is mostly for hikers. At that peak, the Nabataeans sacrificed animals—sheep or goats—in the name of their God, whom they called Dushara. At a specifically designated spot, the animal would stand, and they would all form a circle and pray for the spirit to be released. After that, they would have a feast, roasting the sacrificial lamb to feed the people.
We climbed up to the altar. There was nothing there, just cliffs, sand, stones, and a small tent. There we found Ali and his brother. We bought pomegranate juice. Ali invited us with the words: “Sit down, look, and enjoy.”
Two Norwegians joined us. On a sign in his tent, it says: The Top of the World! Enjoy, relax, and be alone at the top of the world!
We asked Ali where he lives in the summer when it’s too hot and when it rains at the end of the year. He said he lives in the same tent where we found him. We asked him how he brings all these things, the pomegranates he makes juice from, firewood... He said, “On a donkey.”
He told us he has six brothers and six sisters. He is a Bedouin. His parents have passed away. One of his brothers lives in Norway and got married there. Ali went to the wedding. He has traveled around Jordan as well.
When asked what he would like people who come to Petra to learn during their stay, Ali said: “To rush less and enjoy more.”
And when asked how old he is, Ali replied: “I don’t have a number; I just enjoy life.” He also served us tea. For free.
We wanted to know if he would like to travel somewhere like all these people who come to Petra.
-I would like to travel to Italy to find a girlfriend, said Ali, as he stayed on one of the highest peaks of Petra to enjoy life.
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