
The Wadi Rum consists of 278 square miles (720 sq. km) of desert wilderness. Commonly called ‘The Valley of the Moon’, Wadi Rum is a protected southern Jordan valley featuring sand varying in color from light tan to brick red and narrow canyons that cut deep into the huge granite and sandstone mountains, many concealing ancient rock drawings etched by the deserts inhabitants over millennia. For thousands of years, people have inhabited Rum, struggling to survive in its harsh desert conditions. Hunters, farmers, traders and pastoralists have all called the area home. Even the famed Nabateans once resided in Rum, leaving behind several structures upon their departure. Virtually all those living in Wadi Rum today have Bedouin backgrounds, and led nomadic lives until the recent increase in tourism, relying on their herds of goats.