Wadi Mujib
| Wadi Mujib | ||
|---|---|---|
 The Wadi Mujib is also known as the "Grand Canyon of Jordan" and is suitable for trekking tours and canyoning |
||
| location | Jordan | |
| Waters | Arnon | |
| Geographical location | 31 ° 27 '57 " N , 35 ° 34' 24" E | |
|
||
The Wadi Mujib ( Arabic وادي الموجب, DMG Wādī al-Mūǧib ; also Wadi Mujib ) is a gorge in the mountains of Jordan east of the Dead Sea and is 90 km south of Amman .
It ends 410 meters below sea level at the Dead Sea. It is also known as the "Grand Canyon of Jordan" and is the deepest nature reserve in the world. The nearest larger town Dhiban is 5 km north. The "Kaiserstraße" crosses the valley in numerous turns.
The biblical Arnon flows through the Wadi Mujib , provided it does not occasionally fall dry above the Mujib dam during the summer.
geography
During the last ice age , the water level of the Dead Sea reached 180 m below sea level, about 230 m higher than today. It floods the lower areas of the canyon, and sediments are deposited along its banks and bays. About 20,000 years ago, the climatic conditions changed and the water level in the Dead Sea dropped significantly. The Wadi Mujib, however, was closed by a thick layer of marl, so that the drainage was blocked. Only in the course of time did the river eat its way deeper and deeper into the sandstone and deposit the minerals and sand it carried with it in a huge alluvial cone in the Dead Sea .
Mujib reservation
The 215 km² reserve (Arabic محمية الموجب / Maḥmiyyat al-Mūǧib ) was created in 1987 by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and is of regional and international importance. It extends to the Kerak and Madaba mountains and reaches up to 900 meters above sea level.
The height difference of 1,300 meters and the year-round flowing water from the seven tributaries mean for the Wadi Mudschib today a magnificent biodiversity, some of which is still unexplored and not fully documented. More than 300 species of plants, ten species of carnivores and numerous species of native and migratory birds are currently known, but some of the remote mountain and valley locations are difficult to reach. They thus offer safe havens for rare species of cats, goats and other animals. The mujib reserve consists of mountainous, rocky and sparsely overgrown desert (up to 800 m), with cliffs, gorges and deep plateaus cut by wadis. All year round water-bearing streams flow through the wadis to the shores of the Dead Sea.
The slopes of the mountainous country are very sparsely overgrown, with steppe-like vegetation on the plateaus. Groundwater comes to the surface in some places along the Dead Sea, for example at the Zara hot springs, which allow a lush thicket of acacias, tamarisks, date palms, oleanders and even a small swamp. The less difficult slopes of the reserve are used by shepherds for grazing sheep and goats.
Others
tourism
- The Hammamat Ma'in hot springs are located near the border of the reserve and are heavily used for tourism.
- The wadi is used for hiking and trekking tours and for canyoning .
Mujib dam
A new large dam was completed in 2003 in Wadi Mudschib, where the newly developed King's Road there now crosses the river. As a result, a large reservoir has formed, which docks the dangerous torrents of the wadi.
military
The Jordanian military temporarily maintains a camp in the south of the reserve.
literature
- Baedeker Allianz travel guide "Jordan": 7th edition 2009, ISBN 978-3-8297-1153-1 , pages 245 to 247
Individual evidence
- ↑ The hot springs at Ma'in ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
