Saint George Winery

Jordan's only serious winery. Christian community in the Jordan Valley making wine from ancient traditions. The wines are modest but genuine. This is about continuity, not quality.

What to do there

5 things to do

1. 1 Stand at the Goddess Allat's Desert Shrine — 2,100 Years Before the First Tourist History · Free

   Where: The Nabataean Temple ruins, 400 meters behind the Resthouse in Rum Village — follow the telephone poles north from the visitor center. GPS: 29.5779N, 35.4146E.

   What: In 106 AD, Emperor Trajan's general Cornelius Palma marched into this valley and the greatest desert trade empire in history ceased to exist. The Nabataeans — who had controlled the frankincense, myrrh, and spice routes from Yemen across Arabia to the Mediterranean — became Roman Arabia Petraea overnight. This sandstone temple, built in the 1st century BC, was their shrine to Allat, the moon goddess. When the Romans arrived, they absorbed the routes, kept the water systems, and inherited the wine terraces. The incense that passed through Wadi Rum paid for Rome's wars. The foundations you're standing on are all that survived a 1995 collapse — but they're original Nabataean stonework.

   How: Walk freely — no ticket, no guide required. Arrive early morning before the jeep tours begin (before 8am the valley is yours). The ruins are low sandstone blocks, perhaps knee-high, but stand here and face Jabal Rum to the south. What you're looking at is the same cliff-face the Nabataean priests looked at. One of the rare permanent Nabataean settlements outside Petra.

   Backup: If the morning is overcast, this site works at any hour. It can't be missed — it's the first thing you encounter after the visitor center gate.

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2. 2 Read the Inscription That Names This Valley in the Hand of the Last Nabataean King History · Free

   Where: Ain Shallaleh — the REAL spring T.E. Lawrence visited, not the 'Lawrence Spring' on official maps (that's a different site, 2km south). Take the small track behind Rum village cemetery, southwest side of the village. The ascent takes 15 minutes on foot. GPS approx: 29.5650N, 35.4070E.

   What: Here is T.E. Lawrence's exact description of this place, written in Seven Pillars of Wisdom after he visited during the Arab Revolt in 1917: 'I looked in to see the spout, a little thinner than my wrist, jetting out firmly from a fissure in the roof, and falling with that clean sound into a shallow, frothing pool... Thick ferns and grasses of the finest green made it a paradise just five feet square.' The spring still does exactly that. But look at the rock walls around the pool. Carved into the sandstone are Nabataean inscriptions that include dedications to five deities — Allat, Al-Uzza, Al-Kutba, Balshamin, Dushara — and one inscription that names this place 'Iram,' dated to the reign of Rabbel II Soter, the last Nabataean king who died in 106 AD. The moment Rome took over, his name stopped appearing in rock. You are touching the final signature of a civilization.

   How: Walkable from the village — no guide needed, no entrance fee beyond the protected area gate. The spring still flows in season. The inscriptions are on the overhanging rock panels at pool level — bring a torch/flashlight for the shaded sections. Allow 45 minutes total for the walk, reading, and sitting.

   Backup: If you can't locate Ain Shallaleh independently, ask any Bedouin guide for 'the real Lawrence spring behind the cemetery' — they all know the distinction. Alternatively, the inscriptions at the Nabataean Temple entrance also include dedications to Allat.

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3. 3 Trace the Camel Caravan Carved Into the Rock Face at Khazali Canyon Adventure · Price: moderate

   Where: Khazali Canyon (Khazali Siq), 6km south of Rum village. GPS: 29.5201N, 35.4240E. Requires 4WD — included in all standard half-day and full-day jeep tours (30-50 JOD half-day, 45-70 JOD full-day per person). Book through Wadi Rum Nomads — highest-rated operator on TripAdvisor — from the visitor center or in advance at wadirumnomads.com.

   What: The walls of this slot canyon hold a traffic record of the ancient world. Among the 25,000 petroglyphs and 20,000 inscriptions in Wadi Rum, Khazali's are the most accessible and concentrated. You'll see: camel caravans carved by Nabataean traders en route from Yemen to Gaza — the same frankincense route that, after 106 AD, paid taxes into Rome's treasury. Thamudic drawings of ibex, hunters, elephants (2,500+ years old). Islamic Kufic inscriptions from medieval pilgrims to Mecca. Stone Age figures that predate writing itself. Find the camel caravan panel specifically — it's on the left inner wall about 100m into the canyon. Each carved camel is loaded with trade goods. Someone sat here 2,000 years ago and scratched proof of their cargo into the wall. This is the world's oldest shipping manifest.

   How: The shaded walk through the canyon takes 20 minutes. The first section is flat sandstone — easy strolling. Further in, the canyon narrows and steps up into dry waterfall basins requiring some scrambling. Entry fee for the protected area: 5 JOD/person (included in Jordan Pass). Canyon itself: no additional charge.

   Backup: If jeep tours are fully booked, arrange a private guide through your camp — most camps can organize this for similar rates. The Anfishiyyeh Inscriptions (GPS: 29.5559N, 35.4529E) are an excellent alternative: same era, famous for an even larger camel caravan image and marks left by pilgrims en route to Mecca.

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4. 4 Climb the Natural Arch That Stands 80 Meters Above the Incense Route Adventure · Price: moderate · Optional

   Where: Burdah Rock Bridge, 15km south of Rum village. GPS: 29.4735N, 35.5001E. This is the goal of a dedicated half-day excursion — your jeep tour driver can take you here, or arrange with Wadi Rum Nomads as an add-on (included in most full-day routes at no extra charge beyond the base jeep tour rate of 45-70 JOD).

   What: Burdah is one of the highest natural rock bridges in the world — 80 meters above the desert floor. The Nabataeans and Roman traders looked up at this formation from the valley below while their camel trains followed the incense route past it. You are going to stand on top of it. The 2km hike from base to bridge takes 3 hours round trip: it begins as a walk across red sand, then transitions to sandstone scrambling. Three sections require ropes fixed into the rock. The final approach crosses exposed ledges with the entire Wadi Rum valley spread below you. The Negev Desert is visible to the northwest — the same desert where modern Israeli winemakers are reviving Nabataean vine terraces that Rome inherited. From up here, you see the whole stage of 2,000 years of history at once.

   How: Experienced hikers only — 'strenuous, technically difficult.' Wear sturdy shoes (not sandals). Start by 7am to avoid midday heat and to have the arch to yourself. The guide is strongly recommended for rope sections. Arrive with 2 liters of water minimum. Allow 4-5 hours total including jeep transfer.

   Backup: If Burdah is too demanding, Um Fruth Rock Bridge (GPS: 29.510N, 35.481E) is a shorter scramble — 15 minutes up, spectacular views, and included in most standard jeep routes. Achievable by anyone in reasonable fitness.

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5. 5 Toast the Unbroken Thread — Nabataean Desert Winemakers to Jordan's Only Organic Winery Wine · Price: moderate

   Where: Saint George Winery tasting room — The Winemaker, 129 Arar Street, Wadi Saqra, Amman (GPS approx: 31.854N, 36.007E). Phone: +962 6 461 4125. This visit is best placed at the END of your Jordan journey, after Wadi Rum — making Amman your final stop. Tastings are by appointment.

   What: The Nabataeans who built the Allat temple you just visited, who carved their names at Lawrence's Spring, who drove camel caravans past Khazali Canyon — they were also serious winemakers. More than 50 wine presses have been found in the Petra/Beida region alone. Their terraced desert vineyards, with sophisticated irrigation channeling rare desert rains, produced wine so good that when Trajan annexed their kingdom in 106 AD, Rome's explosion of agricultural investment into the region included those same vine terraces. Historians note: 'The increased wealth from wine and oil production made Petra an exceptionally attractive prize for Rome.' Now meet Omar Zumot. His family has made wine in Jordan since 1954. He studied winemaking in France. His Saint George label is Jordan's only 100% organic winery, certified by IMO Switzerland, producing 400,000 liters in 700 French oak barrels. In 2018 alone, Saint George collected 23 international prizes. The Shiraz-Grenache is dark cherry and chocolate. The Cabernet Sauvignon Winemaker's Selection is 'reminiscent of California Cab — cassis, cedar, earth.' When you taste it, you are tasting the desert soil the Nabataeans first grew grapes in. That is not a metaphor. That is the geology.

   How: Call or email in advance ([email protected]) to book a tasting — around 20-30 JOD per person, includes wine, cheese, baguettes, cold cuts. The tasting room is described as 'grand yet cozy — two floors, local artwork, a long tasting table, shelves of wine.' Ask specifically to taste the Winemaker's Selection Cabernet and the Shiraz-Grenache. Tell them you've just come from Wadi Rum. Wine-Searcher lists bottles from approx $15-25 internationally.

   Backup: If you can't do the winery visit, buy a bottle of Saint George at The Winemaker shop (same address — walk-in, no appointment needed) and drink it at camp in Wadi Rum the night before. Jordan's remote desert camps allow BYOB — purchase in Aqaba or Amman before entering the protected area, and drink quietly in your tent after dinner. That glass, in the desert the Nabataeans made sacred, under the stars of Arabia Petraea — that is the reveal moment.

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