Wadi Musa
Encyclopedia
Wadi Musa, is the name of a town located in the Ma'an Governorate
in southern Jordan
east of Petra
at latitude 30.317N and longitude 35.483E.
It is the nearest town to the archaeological site of Petra
and hosts many hotels and restaurants for tourists visiting this place. Approximately 2 kilometers from the main town, there is an important Bedouin
settlement.
passed through the valley and struck water from the rock for his followers at the site of (Ain Musa) Moses water Spring (Moses's Well) . The Nabateans built channels that carried water from this spring to the city of Petra. Wadi Musa was also nicknamed the Guardian of Petra. Aaron
, the brother of Moses, was buried in the nearby Mount Hor
.
, Jordan's capital, and 100 Km north of the port city of Aqaba
. With more than 50 hotels and many tourist restaurants, its economy is almost entirely tied to tourism.
The campus of the College of Archaeology, Tourism & Hotel Management of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University
is located in Wadi Musa.
Ma'an Governorate
Ma'an is one of the governorates of Jordan, it is located south of Amman, Jordan's capital. Its capital is the city of Ma'an. This governorate is the largest in the kingdom of Jordan by area.-History:...
in southern Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
east of Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
at latitude 30.317N and longitude 35.483E.
It is the nearest town to the archaeological site of Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
and hosts many hotels and restaurants for tourists visiting this place. Approximately 2 kilometers from the main town, there is an important Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
settlement.
Demographics
The census of 2004 shows that the population of Petra Department, which includes Wadi Musa and 18 other villages, with Wadi Musa being its administrative center, had a total population of 23,840 inhabitants. The male to female ratio was 51.56 to 48.44, Jordanian citizens made up 93.5% of the population of Wadi Musa. The estimated population of Wadi Musa in 2009 is 26,100.Origin of the Name
The name Wadi Musa means Valley of Moses in Arabic, it was report that prophet MosesMoses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
passed through the valley and struck water from the rock for his followers at the site of (Ain Musa) Moses water Spring (Moses's Well) . The Nabateans built channels that carried water from this spring to the city of Petra. Wadi Musa was also nicknamed the Guardian of Petra. Aaron
Aaron
In the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, Aaron : Ααρών ), who is often called "'Aaron the Priest"' and once Aaron the Levite , was the older brother of Moses, and a prophet of God. He represented the priestly functions of his tribe, becoming the first High Priest of the Israelites...
, the brother of Moses, was buried in the nearby Mount Hor
Mount Hor
Mount Hor is the name given in the Old Testament to two distinct mountains. One is in the Land of Edom on the East shore of the Dead Sea , the other by the Mediterranean Sea at the Northern border of the Land of Israel.-Mount Hor in Edom:This Mount Hor is situated "in the edge of the land of Edom"...
.
Economy
The town is about 250 Km from AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan's capital, and 100 Km north of the port city of Aqaba
Aqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
. With more than 50 hotels and many tourist restaurants, its economy is almost entirely tied to tourism.
The campus of the College of Archaeology, Tourism & Hotel Management of Al-Hussein Bin Talal University
Al-Hussein Bin Talal University
Al-Hussein Bin Talal University is a university located close to Ma'an city in the southern region of Jordan...
is located in Wadi Musa.