You must go to the village of Iraq Al-Amir, above all because it is magnificent, with its very well preserved 19th century Ottoman houses and its green surroundings - which is rare in Jordan - with its very Mediterranean pine forest and olive groves.
The highlight of the visit is the castle, because it is very old. It was built in 2 BC by the dynasty Jew of the Tobiads. Hyrcanus, born into a large aristocratic family in Jerusalem, founded the city of Tyros (today called Iraq Al-Amir) in Transjordania when Judea passed the yoke of Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra to the Seleucid Empire (Persians of Iran). It is remarkably well preserved for its age (still standing), the colonnades are magnificent, and the size of the stones make you realise how big the building is. You can admire the friezes of a portico which represent lions and eagles and see the rain water cisterns which supplied them with water (quite a modern system for the era).
After the castle, you must climb to the top of the village where you will find eleven dug up caves on the cliff. You can see writing in Aramaic languages (notably the word "Tobiad" which confirms the existence of this dynasty here).
You must go to the village of Iraq Al-Amir, above all because it is magnificent, with its very well preserved 19th century Ottoman houses and its green surroundings - which is rare in Jordan - with its very Mediterranean pine forest and olive groves.
The highlight of the visit is the castle, because it is very old. It was built in 2 BC by the dynasty Jew of the Tobiads. Hyrcanus, born into a large aristocratic family in Jerusalem, founded the city of Tyros (today called Iraq Al-Amir) in Transjordania when Judea passed the yoke of Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra to the Seleucid Empire (Persians of Iran). It is remarkably well preserved for its age (still standing), the colonnades are magnificent, and the size of the stones make you realise how big the building is. You can admire the friezes of a portico which represent lions and eagles and see the rain water cisterns which supplied them with water (quite a modern system for the era).
After the castle, you must climb to the top of the village where you will find eleven dug up caves on the cliff. You can see writing in Aramaic languages (notably the word "Tobiad" which confirms the existence of this dynasty here).