Wadi Rum

{{Short description|Valley in southern Jordan}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Wadi Rum | iucn_ref =  | image = Mountain in Wadi Rum, Jordan.jpg | image_caption = A Wadi Rum vista  | image_map = | location = [[Aqaba Governorate|Aqaba]], [[Jordan]] | nearest_city = | nearest_town = | coordinates = {{coord|29|35|35|N|35|25|12|E|display=inline,title}} | coords_ref =  | length = | length_mi = | length_km = | width = | width_mi = | width_km = | area_km2 = 721 | area_ref = | elevation = {{convert|45-1750|m|ft|abbr=on}} | elevation_avg = | elevation_min = | elevation_max = | dimensions = | designation =  | authorized = | created = | designated = | established = | named_for = [[Arabic language|Arabic]] for "Valley of (light, airborne) sand" | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | visitation_ref = | governing_body = | administrator = | operator = [[Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority]] | owner =  | website = [http://www.wadirum.jo Wadi Rum] | module = {{designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = WHS | designation1_offname = Wadi Rum Protected Area | designation1_date = 2011 | designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1377 1377] | designation1_criteria = iii, v, vii | designation1_type = Mixed | designation1_free1name = Region | designation1_free1value = Arab States }} }} '''Wadi Rum''' ({{langx|ar|وادي رم}} ''Wādī Ramm'', also ''Wādī al-Ramm'', known also as the '''Valley of the Moon''' or '''Red mountains''' ({{langx|ar|وادي القمر|Wādī al-Qamar}}), is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southern [[Jordan]], near the border with [[Saudi Arabia]] and about {{Convert|60|km|mi|abbr=on}} to the east of the city of [[Aqaba]]. With an area of {{convert|720|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} it is the largest [[wadi]] (river valley) in Jordan.<ref name="Mannheim2000">{{cite book|last=Mannheim|first=Ivan|title=Jordan Handbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LWh_GohTy6AC&pg=PA293|access-date=30 May 2012|date=1 December 2000|publisher=Footprint Travel Guides|isbn=978-1-900949-69-9|page=293}}</ref>

Several prehistoric civilizations left [[petroglyph]]s, rock inscriptions and ruins in Wadi Rum. Today it is a tourist attraction, offering guided tours, hiking and rock climbing. The Wadi Rum Protected Area has been a [[UNESCO World heritage site|UNESCO World Heritage site]] since 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-06-25 |title=World Heritage Committee inscribes five new sites in Colombia, Sudan, Jordan, Italy and Germany |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/771/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Wadi Rum Protected Area |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1377/ |access-date=2022-12-27 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre |language=en}}</ref>

==Toponym== Wadi Rum or Wadi Ramm is believed to get its name from the early name of [[Iram of the Pillars]]<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Laurent Tholbecq|url=https://www.academia.edu/1184253|title=The Nabataeo-Roman Site of Wadi Ramm (Iram): A New Appraisal|journal=Academia|pages=241–254|date=1998}}</ref> (also called Irum ({{langx|ar|إرم}})), a [[lost city]] mentioned in the [[Quran]].

==Geography== [[File:Wadi Rum 13.jpg|thumb|Landscape view of Wadi Rum desert, Jordan.]] The area is centered on the main valley of Wadi Rum. The highest elevation in Jordan is [[Jabal Umm ad Dami]] at {{Convert|1840|m|ft|abbr=on}} high (SRTM data states 1854 m), located {{convert|30|km|abbr=on}} south of Wadi Rum village. It was first located {{when|date=June 2019}} by Difallah Ateeg, a Zalabia [[Bedouin]] from Rum. On a clear day, it is possible to see the [[Red Sea]] and the Saudi border from the top.

[[Jabal Ram]] or Jebel Rum ({{Convert|1734|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level) is the second highest peak in Jordan and the highest peak in the central Rum,<ref name="Scheck1997">{{cite book|last=Scheck|first=Frank Rainer|title=Jordanien: Völker und Kulturen zwischen Jordan und Rotem Meer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMVut1r9Y8YC&pg=PA12|access-date=30 May 2012|year=1997|publisher=DuMont Reiseverlag|isbn=978-3-7701-3979-8|page=12|language=de}}</ref> rising directly above Rum valley, opposite Jebel um Ishrin, which is possibly one metre lower.

Khaz'ali Canyon in Wadi Rum is the site of [[petroglyphs]] etched into the cave walls depicting humans and antelopes dating back to the [[Thamud]]ic times. The village of Wadi Rum itself consists of several hundred [[Bedouin]] inhabitants with their goat-hair tents and concrete houses and also their four-wheel vehicles, one school for boys and one for girls, a few shops, and the headquarters of the [[Desert Patrol]].<ref name="HowardTaylor1997">{{cite book|last1=Howard|first1=Tony|last2=Taylor|first2=Di|title=Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum, Jordan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fweY0lTEJogC&pg=PA20|access-date=30 May 2012|date=May 1997|publisher=Cicerone Press Limited|isbn=978-1-85284-254-3|page=20}}</ref>

==Climate== [[File:Koppen wadi rum.png|thumb|Köppen climate classification of Jordan, where Wadi Rum is in southwest corner inside the black circle.]] Wadi Rum experiences a [[desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: BWh/BWk). Rainfall is scarce, often occurring as [[flash flood]]s, and results almost exclusively from [[thunderstorm]]s. These thunderstorms are caused when cold upper air pools passing through the [[Eastern Mediterranean]] interact with the Red Sea thermal low, combined with the presence of subtropical moisture in the mid and high levels of the atmosphere.{{Weather box|width=auto |metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location =Wadi Rum, elevation {{convert|952|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1971–2000) |Jan high C = 14.6 |Feb high C = 17.7 |Mar high C = 21.1 |Apr high C = 25.1 |May high C = 29.9 |Jun high C = 32.9 |Jul high C = 34.6 |Aug high C = 34.3 |Sep high C = 32.9 |Oct high C = 28.6 |Nov high C = 21.1 |Dec high C = 16.1 |year high C = |Jan low C = 4.6 |Feb low C = 5.9 |Mar low C = 9.0 |Apr low C = 11.8 |May low C = 15.0 |Jun low C = 17.2 |Jul low C = 19.3 |Aug low C = 18.7 |Sep low C = 17.0 |Oct low C = 13.4 |Nov low C = 9.2 |Dec low C = 5.1 |year low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 19 |Feb precipitation mm = 10 |Mar precipitation mm = 18 |Apr precipitation mm = 7 |May precipitation mm = 3 |Jun precipitation mm = 0 |Jul precipitation mm = 0 |Aug precipitation mm = 0 |Sep precipitation mm = 0 |Oct precipitation mm = 2 |Nov precipitation mm = 6 |Dec precipitation mm = 9 |year precipitation mm = |source 1 = [[FAO]]<ref name=FAO>{{cite web | url = https://www.fao.org/land-water/databases-and-software/climwat-for-cropwat/en/ | title = CLIMWAT climatic database | publisher= Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations | access-date = 28 June 2024}}</ref> }}

==Geology== [[File:Wadi Rum Desert 01.jpg|thumb|left|A large vertical rock formation at Wadi Rum.]] Wadi Rum is located within the Sandstone Mountain and Valley Region of southern Jordan the area is characterized by tall, near vertical mountains of iron-rich, erosion resistant, Umm Ishrin [[Sandstone]], separated by flat-bottom valleys of [[alluvial]] sediments, [[aeolian sand]]s, and [[salt pan (geology)|salt pans]]. The Umm Ishrin is the thickest [[formation (geology)|formation]] in the [[Lower Palaeozoic]]-[[Upper Cretaceous]] [[Nubian Sandstone]], underlying the Disi and Umm Sahn sandstone formations, and overlying the Salib [[Arkosic]] Formation. The Salib in turn overlies the eroded Aqaba Complex of [[plutonic]] [[granitoid]]s. An [[aquifer]] forms along this lithologic contact, with [[spring (hydrology)|springs]] forming on the eastern mountain slopes. [[Alluvial fan]]s compose most of the alluvial sediments. Aeolian systems include [[tafoni]], [[natural bridge]]s, and [[sand dune]]s. Sand dunes include [[barchan|barkhan]]s, climbing dunes consisting of sand ramps that reach the tops of hills, and echo dunes consisting of sands that have crawled over a hill to be deposited on the lee side.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cordova |first1=Carlos |last2=DeWitt |first2=Regina |last3=Winsborough |first3=Barbara |title=Geology, Landforms, and Depositional Systems in Wadi Rum, in The Sands of Time, The Desert Neolithic Settlement at Ayn Abu Nukhayla |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303817923 |website=ResearchGate |access-date=12 January 2023 |date=2014}}</ref>

==History== [[File:WadiRumPetroglyphFamily.jpg|thumb|upright|Petroglyphs at Wadi Rum]] Various human cultures have inhabited Wadi Rum since prehistoric times, with many cultures–including the [[Nabataeans]]–leaving their mark in the form of [[petroglyph]]s, inscriptions, and temple ruins.

According to Bienkowski,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bienkowski |first1=P. |title=The Edomites: The Archaeology of the Edomites |date=1992 |publisher=Sheffield Academic Press}}</ref> the area was part of the [[Edom|Kingdom of Edom]] (between the 13th and 6th centuries BCE). The region contains numerous archaeological remains, including copper mining sites at [[Wadi Feynan]] and ancient fortifications. Trade routes connecting Arabia to the Levant passed through the area, contributing to its prosperity.

Currently, the majority is made up by the Zalabieh Bedouins who arrived to the region around 1980. The word "Bedouin" comes from the Arabic word for desert, pronounced ''badiya'' in the Arabic language. The root of this word is ''bad’a'', which translates to "clear" and "obvious" in Arabic. One central characteristic for Bedouin tribes is the sense of belonging that tribe members feel.<ref name="dx.doi.org">{{Cite journal |date=2017 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.22381/crlsj9120178 |journal=Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=132 |doi=10.22381/crlsj9120178 |issn=1948-9137|title=The Social Ontology of Institutions: A Reassessment |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

When they first arrived, the Zalabieh bedouins lived in tents. Their village held about 700–800 people. 80% of those people were either retired from the army or the police.<ref name="dx.doi.org"/>

The camel is the favorite animal of the Zalabieh bedouins. It is a symbol for male pride. [[Camel racing]] is an important sport for the Bedouins. These races allow Bedouins to engage in male competition, and establish manhood and power within the community.<ref>{{Citation |title=19 Changing Sex Roles in Bedouin Society in Syria and Lebanon |date=1978-12-31 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674733091.c22 |work=Women in the Muslim World |pages=399–415 |publisher=Harvard University Press |doi=10.4159/harvard.9780674733091.c22 |isbn=9780674733091 |access-date=2022-12-03|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Wadi Rum was documented by British officer [[T. E. Lawrence]], who passed through several times during the [[Arab Revolt]] of 1917–18.<ref name="HamGreenway2003">{{cite book|last1=Ham|first1=Anthony|last2=Greenway|first2=Paul|title=Jordan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5x2pJuvWeOQC&pg=PA212|access-date=30 May 2012|year=2003|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=978-1-74059-165-2|page=212}}</ref> In the 1980s one of the rock formations in Wadi Rum, originally known as "Jabal al-Mazmar" (''The Mountain of (the) Plague''), was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom," after [[Seven Pillars of Wisdom|Lawrence's book]] penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book have no connection with Rum.<ref>[https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/middle-east/jordan/aqaba-southern-desert/wadi-rum/seven-pillars/ The Seven Pillars?] ''roughguides.com'', accessed 19 June 2018</ref>

Lawrence described his entrance into the Valley of Rumm: "The hills on the right grew taller and sharper, a fair counterpart of the other side which straightened itself to one massive rampart of redness. They drew together until only two miles divided them: and then, towering gradually till their parallel parapets must have been a thousand feet above us, ran forward in an avenue for miles. The crags were capped in nests of domes, less hotly red than the body of the hill; rather grey and shallow. They gave the finishing semblance of Byzantine architecture to this irresistible place: this processional way greater than imagination."<ref name="TE">{{cite book |last1=Lawrence |first1=T.E. |title=Seven Pillars of Wisdom |url=https://archive.org/details/sevenpillarsofwi00lawr |url-access=registration |date=1935 |publisher=Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc. |location=Garden City |pages=[https://archive.org/details/sevenpillarsofwi00lawr/page/351 351]}}</ref>

Lawrence also described his encounter with the spring, Ain Shalaaleh, "On the rock-bulge above were clear-cut Nabathaean inscriptions, and a sunk panel incised with a monogram or symbol. Around and about were Arab scratches, including tribe-marks, some of which were witnesses of forgotten migrations: but my attention was only for the splashing of water in a crevice under the shadow of the overhanging rock. 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, behind the step which served as an entrance. Thick ferns and grasses of the finest green made it a paradise just five feet square."<ref name=TE/>{{rp|355}}

The discovery of the Nabataean Temple (located walking distance from the Rest House) in 1933 briefly returned the spotlight to the desert. A French team of archaeologists completed the excavations in 1997.

In April 2025, in a landmark archaeological discovery, the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the finding of the first royal hieroglyphic inscription in [[Wadi Rum]]. The inscription features two royal cartouches of [[Ramesses III|King Ramesses III]], one of the greatest warrior kings of Egypt, displaying his birth and throne names. During the official press conference, the Jordanian scientific team emphasized that this discovery provides tangible evidence of a military or commercial campaign. The team noted that the presence of such a royal mark indicates that [[Ramesses III]] was involved in this mission, either directly or indirectly, highlighting Wadi Rum’s historical role as a vital corridor connecting Ancient Egypt with the Southern Levant and the Arabian Peninsula.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-19 |title=الأردن: اكتشاف أول "نقش أثري فرعوني" يعود للملك رمسيس الثالث |url=https://arabic.cnn.com/travel/article/2025/04/19/jordan-discovers-first-pharaonic-inscription-king-ramses-iii |access-date=2026-05-02 |website=CNN Arabic |language=ar}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-19 |title=Pharaonic inscription of Ramses III discovered in southern Jordan |url=https://jordantimes.com//news/local/pharaonic-inscription-ramses-iii-discovered-southern-jordan |access-date=2026-05-02 |website=Jordan Times |language=en}}</ref>

==Activities== ===Tourism=== [[File:Camp in jordan.jpg|thumb|Desert camp for tourists in Wadi Rum]] [[File:Eghabsläger.jpg|thumb|Secluded traditional Bedouin camp protected by mountains]] Desert scenes of Wadi Rum in ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' from 1962 kick-started Jordan's tourism industry.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/middle-east/the-complete-guide-to-lawrences-arabia-564189.html The Complete Guide to Lawrence's Arabia] 22 May 2004, ''independent.co.uk'', accessed 19 June 2018</ref>

Wadi Rum is one of Jordan's most popular tourist sites, attracting 162,000 tourists in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bani Mustafa |first1=Ahmed |title='97 per cent increase in Wadi Rum visitors, 13 per cent for Aqaba' |url=https://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/97-cent-increase-wadi-rum-visitors-13-cent-aqaba%E2%80%99 |access-date=16 May 2023 |publisher=Jordan Times |date=Jan 29, 2018}}</ref> Wadi Rum is home to the Zalabieh tribe, who developed eco-adventure tourism and services throughout the protected area. Using local guides and services brings many benefits to the protected area. In particular, it enables people to continue earning a living from the land and helps to ensure that the protected area remains protected.

Bedouins in Wadi Rum allow tourists to stay overnight in their traditional camps, and provide activities, meals and transport throughout the desert. They also run restaurants and small shops in the villages that provide meals and basic supplies for visitors. Popular activities in Wadi Rum include 4x4 tours, camel rides, hiking, and camping.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}

[[Dima and Lama Hattab]] coordinate an annual [[marathon]] in the region called Jabal Ishrin.

===Rock climbing=== [[File:Flight of Fancy, Jebel Rum.jpg|thumb|upright|Climber on Jabal Ram]] Local [[Bedouin]] have climbed in the [[sandstone]] mountains of Wadi Rum for many generations. Many of their 'Bedouin Roads' have been rediscovered and documented by modern climbers. Several are included in the [[climbing guidebook]] by Tony Howard, and online by Liên and Gilles Rappeneau.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gilles|first=Rappeneau|title=Les Voies Bedouin du Wadi Ramm|url=http://wadiram.userhome.ch/|work=website|access-date=5 February 2014}}</ref>

In 1949, Sheikh Hamdan took surveyors to the summit of Jabal Ram. The first recorded European ascent of Jabal Rum took place in November 1952, by Charmian Longstaff and Sylvia Branford, guided by Sheik Hamdan. The first recorded rock climbs started in 1984, with the first of many visits by English climbers Howard, Baker, Taylor and Shaw. This group repeated many of the Bedouin routes, accompanied by locals and independently, including, in 1984, Hammad's Route on Jebel Rum, and, in 1985, Sheikh Kraim's Hunter's Slabs and Rijm Assaf on Jebel Rum.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Howard |first1=Tony |title=Climbing the Bedouin routes of Wadi Rum |url=https://www.cicerone.co.uk/climbing-the-bedouin-routes-of-wadi-rum |access-date=26 March 2016 |website=Cicerone Press }}</ref> Many new routes were climbed in the 1980s, by this team, French guide Wilfried Colonna, by the Swiss Remy brothers, and by Haupolter and Precht.<ref>{{cite book|last=Howard|first=Tony|title=Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum|year=1987|publisher=Cicerone Press|location=Milnthorpe, England|isbn=1-852841354|pages=192}}</ref> The first dedicated climbing guide book, ''Treks and Climb in Wadi Rum'', by Tony Howard, was first published in 1987. Some of the many Bedouin routes have been documented online by Lien and Gilles Rappeneau.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rappeneau|first1=Gilles|title=Les Voies Bedouines des Wadi Ramm|url=http://wadiram.userhome.ch/|website=Les Voies Bedouines des Wadi Ramm|access-date=26 March 2016}}</ref> A new routes book for climbers is held at the Wadi Rum Guest House.

The route Guerre Sainte was climbed in 2000 by Batoux, Petit and friends. This was the first route in Wadi Rum to be entirely equipped using bolt protection. The route, on the East Face of Jebel Nassarani North, is {{convert|450|m|ft|abbr=on}} long, and graded F7b or F7aA0.<ref>{{cite web | title=The Guerre Sainte | url=http://www.camptocamp.org/routes/53974/fr/djebel-nassrani-sommet-n-la-guerre-sainte | publisher=CamptoCamp.org | access-date=17 September 2014}}</ref>

===Filming location=== The area has been used as a background setting in a number of films. Filmmakers are particularly drawn to it for science fiction films set on [[Mars]].<ref name="Slate The Martian review">{{cite news|last=Stevens|first=Dana|title=Saving Astronaut Watney|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/movies/2015/10/matt_damon_in_the_martian_reviewed.html|publisher=[[Slate (website)|Slate]]|date=1 October 2015|access-date=2 October 2015}}</ref>

The Location Managers Guild recognized the [[Royal Film Commission – Jordan|Jordanian Royal Film Commission]] with its [[Location Managers Guild Awards|LMGI Award]] for Outstanding Film Commission in 2017 for its work on ''[[Rogue One]]'', which was filmed at Wadi Rum. The RFC was previously nominated for its work with ''[[The Martian (film)|The Martian]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=RFC bags 'Outstanding Film Commission' Award|url=http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/rfc-bags-outstanding-film-commission’-award|publisher=Jordan Times|date=10 April 2017}}</ref>

* ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' – [[David Lean]] filmed much of this [[1962 in film|1962]] film on location in Wadi Rum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism6e.html#Wadi%20|title= Touristic Sites – South of Amman|publisher=Kinghussein.gov.jo|access-date=30 May 2012}}</ref> * ''[[Prometheus (2012 film)|Prometheus]]'' – scenes for the Alien Planet<ref>{{cite news | last1=Galloway| first1=Stephen | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ridley-scott-prometheus-alien-324981 | title=Return of the 'Alien' Mind | work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | date=16 May 2012 | access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref> * ''[[The Last Days on Mars]]'' – filmed for exterior shots representing the surface of the [[Mars|titular planet]] for this [[2013 in film|2013]] film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/features/ruairi-robinson-the-last-days-on-mars/5056819.article|title=Ruairi Robinson, The Last Days On Mars|last=Forde|first=Leon|work=[[Screen Daily]]|date=2013-05-28|access-date=2015-02-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screendaily.com/features/features/last-days-on-mars/5044494.article|title=Last Days On Mars|last=Cooper|first=Sarah|work=[[Screen Daily]]|date=2012-07-19|access-date=2015-02-09}}</ref> * ''[[The Martian (film)|The Martian]]'' – filming for the [[Ridley Scott]] film began in March 2015, for shots that stood in for the surface of Mars.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ridley Scott's The Martian moves to Jordan|url=http://www.kftv.com/news/2015/01/27/ridley-scotts-the-martian-moves-to-jordan|access-date=19 February 2015|publisher=kftv.com|date=27 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/ridley-scott-and-matt-damon-on-going-to-jordan-to-230136329.html|title=Ridley Scott and Matt Damon on Going to Jordan to Recreate Mars|access-date=2015-10-08|date=2015-09-30|work=Yahoo!}}</ref> * ''[[Theeb]]'' – Filmed mostly in Wadi Rum, as well as Wadi Araba.<ref>[https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/naji-abu-nowar-talks-about-exploring-the-bedouin-way-of-life-in-his-first-feature-theeb-1.282588 Kaleem Aftab: Naji Abu Nowar talks about exploring the Bedouin way of life in his first feature Theeb] 25 August 2014, ''thenational.ae'', accessed 19 June 2018</ref> * ''[[Rogue One|Rogue One: A Star Wars Story]]'', used for scenes set on [[Jedha]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Jolin|first1=Dan|title=Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — The complete history, Part III|url=http://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/rogue-one-star-wars-story-complete-history-part-iii/|website=Empire|access-date=14 December 2016|language=en|date=14 December 2016}}</ref> * ''[[Aladdin (2019 film)|Aladdin]]'', 2019 live action remake of the 1992 Disney animated film of the [[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|same name]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aladdin: 10 Things You Didn't Know About The Cave Of Wonders|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=7 December 2021|url=https://screenrant.com/aladdin-cave-wonders-facts/|language=en|access-date=31 May 2022}}</ref> * ''[[Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker]]'', used for the desert planet Pasaana.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Arvedon |first1=Joe |title=Star Wars: We Now Know the Name of The Rise of Skywalker's Desert Planet |url=https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-pasaana/ |website=[[CBR.com]] |access-date=24 May 2019 |date=22 May 2019}}</ref> * ''[[Dune (2021 film)|Dune]]'' (2021), used as a location for the [[desert planet]] [[Arrakis]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dune: Josh Brolin Reveals Arrakis Shooting Location in New Video|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=8 April 2019 |url=https://screenrant.com/dune-josh-brolin-reveals-arrakis-shooting-location-new-video/|language=en|access-date=2 May 2019}}</ref> [[Timothée Chalamet]] called Wadi Rum 'awe-inspiring'.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-08-31|title=Dune: Timothée Chalamet On The 'Awe-Inspiring' Desert Shoot – Exclusive Images|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/dune-timothee-chalamet-on-the-awe-inspiring-desert-shoot-exclusive-images/|access-date=2020-08-31|website=Empire|language=en}}</ref> * ''[[Dune: Part Two]]'', used as a filming location.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Exclusive: Dune Part 2 to film in Jordan end of this year |url=https://www.kftv.com/news/2022/05/26/exclusive-dune-part-2-to-film-in-jordan-end-of-this-year |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=www.kftv.com}}</ref> * ''[[Aadujeevitham (film)|Aadujeevitham]]'' – The desert scenes of the 2024 [[Malayalam film]] were mostly shot on locations in Wadi Rum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/prithviraj-sukumaran-and-aadujeevitham-team-to-return-to-kerala/articleshow/75850160.cms|title=Prithviraj Sukumaran and 'Aadujeevitham' team to return to Kerala |website=The Times of India}}</ref> * ''[[Moon Knight (miniseries)|Moon Knight]] (2022)'', used for the scenes outside [[Ammit]]'s tomb.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Moon Knight Directors Had To Avoid Dune & Star Wars Filming Locations|website=[[Screen Rant]]|date=2 April 2022|url=https://screenrant.com/moon-knight-filming-locations-dune-star-wars-production/|language=en|access-date=31 May 2022}}</ref> * ''[[The Amazing Race 34]]''<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/the-amazing-race/releases/?view=101076-for-the-first-time-in-amazing-race-history-teams-travel-to-the-kingdom-of-jordan-on-the-amazing-race-wednesday-oct-19|title=FOR THE FIRST TIME IN "AMAZING RACE" HISTORY, TEAMS TRAVEL TO THE KINGDOM OF JORDAN, ON "THE AMAZING RACE," WEDNESDAY, OCT. 19|publisher=[[CBS]]|via=Paramount Press Express|date=October 13, 2022|access-date=October 15, 2022}}</ref> * ''[[John Wick: Chapter 4]]'' (2023), used for a desert scene while John Wick is on the move.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Wick: Chapter 4 at Wadi Rum - filming location |url=https://www.sceen-it.com/sceen/6995/John-Wick-Chapter-4/Wadi-Rum |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=SCEEN IT |language=en-US}}</ref> * ''[[Special Forces: World's Toughest Test]]'' season 1<ref>{{cite web|last=Shrestha|first=Naman|title=Where is ''Special Forces World's Toughest Test'' Filmed?|website=The Cinemaholic|date=January 3, 2023|url=https://thecinemaholic.com/where-is-special-forces-worlds-toughest-test-filmed/|access-date=March 20, 2023}}</ref> * [[Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024 film)|''Bade Miyan Chote Miyan'']] (2024)

==Gallery== <gallery mode="packed" heights="100"> File:GabelRum01 ST 07.JPG|View from the top of Jabal Ram File:Seven Pillars 2008 e5.jpg|The "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" rock formation File:WadiRumPetroglyphs.jpg|[[Thamudic language|Thamudic]] inscriptions in Wadi Rum File:Wadi Rum BW 6.JPG|A [[Nabatean]] temple in Wadi Rum File:Wadi Rum rock formation.jpg|Wadi Rum rock formation File:Wadi Rum 13.jpg| Wadi Rum road File:Wadi Rum 12.jpg| Wadi Rum File:Wadi Rum in Jordan.JPG|Wadi Rum desert File:Wadi Rum, Jordan, The Wadi Rum Visitor Center.jpg|The Wadi Rum Visitor Center File:Wadi Rum Protected Area, Jordan.jpg|In 2011 File:Mountain in Wadi Rum, Jordan.jpg|Mountain in Wadi Rum File:Wadi Rum rock formations along with Bedouin camps, Jordan.jpg|Wadi Rum rock formations along with Bedouin camps File:Jordan, Wadi Rum Desert, Khor al Ajram.jpg|Plants in arid Wadi Rum landscape File:Jordan, Wadi Rum Desert, Jebel Khazali.jpg|Khazali canyon </gallery>

==See also== {{Portal|Jordan}} * [[List of World Heritage Sites in Jordan]] * [[Nature reserves in Jordan]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} {{wikivoyage|Wadi Rum}} * [http://wadirum.jo/ Official website] * [https://acor.digitalrelab.com/index.php?s=filter=place_name:Wadi%20Rum%20(Jordan) Photos of Wadi Rum], The American Center of Research * [https://www.manar-al-athar.ox.ac.uk/pages/collections_featured.php?parent=6204 Photos of Wadi Rum] from the [[Manar al-Athar]] photo archive

[[Category:Wadis of Jordan|Rum]] [[Category:Tourist attractions in Jordan]] [[Category:Levant]] [[Category:Nature reserves in Jordan]] [[Category:World Heritage Sites in Jordan]] [[Category:Aqaba Governorate]] [[Category:Articles containing video clips]] [[Category:Nabataean sites in Jordan]] [[Category:Iram of the Pillars]]