Textiles and the Wonders of Jordan

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before a sightseeing tour of Amman’s downtown area. We will visit The Citadel and Amphitheatre, evidence of the capital’s ancient past, alongside the Jordan Museum of Popular Traditions and Folklore Museums. Explore and browse the Souq and its array of products including fabrics before stopping for lunch in a local restaurant.

This afternoon you will visit the Urdon shop which offers 100% Jordanian-made products, reflecting the diversity of the Kingdom and creativity of its people. We will also visit the Turquoise Mountain Foundation whose aim is to revive historic areas and traditional crafts to create jobs.

Today we will visit the Jordan River Foundation. Established in 1995 and chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, the non-profit, non-governmental organisation focuses on child safety and community empowerment. Here we will see ladies from the local community working on different handicrafts.

The Tiraz Centre is the home of the world’s largest collection of Palestinian, Jordanian and Arab traditional dress from the 19th and 20th centuries, with over 2000 costumes and weavings. Tiraz is a Jordan-based institution which aims to preserve the Widad Kawar Collection, and promote the vibrant Palestinian and Jordanian cultural heritage and Arab living traditions. Here, we will enjoy a tour of the collection and workshop.

Today we join our Stitchtopia expert for both morning and afternoon hand-stitching workshops at the hotel.

Today we leave Amman and drive to Petra. En route we visit the city of Madaba, which is best known for the famous 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem & The Holy Land, spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics and St. George’s Church. We pass by Mt. Nebo, mentioned in the bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land that he would never enter. We will see the Siyagha – a rocky outcrop with the 4th century Moses Memorial Church on its summit. We will also visit the memorial viewpoint marking Moses’ view of the Promised Land towards ancient Gilead, Judah, Jericho and the Negev marked by an Italian-designed bronze memorial. On arrival in Petra, we check in to our hotel for a two night stay.

One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the famous Nabatean Red Rose City of Petra promises to be a highlight of our tour. Together with our guide, we will enter the magnificent site with its dazzling colours and incredible rock formations through a kilometre-long, narrow gorge flanked on either side by 80m high cliffs. Highlights of Petra include: the Treasury, colonnaded streets, roman-style theatres, extraordinary temples, sacrificial altars and rock-cut tombs.

After breakfast, we will continue hand-stitching in a morning workshop hosted by our Stitchtopia expert before heading further into southern Jordan for an overnight stay at Wadi Rum. Here we enjoy a two-hour sunset jeep safari exploring the Jordanian desert that was best-described by T.E Lawrence as “Vast, echoing and god-like”, and by the locals, as “Valley of the Moon”. This evening enjoy a meal cooked in the traditional zarb style, using an underground oven often used by herders in the Arabian peninsula.

Today we drive to the Dead Sea, the lowest body of water on earth. Deep in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea is the world’s richest source of natural salts, hiding wonderful treasures that accumulated throughout thousands of years.

On route we will stop by Bani Hamida. The Bani Hamida Women’s Weaving Project aims to provide employment opportunities for vulnerable women whilst developing their knowledge and skills in handicraft and artisans’ production. Upon visiting the centre, you will be welcomed by the women weavers who are eager to show you their beautiful wool products, share their stories and demonstrate their techniques.

The afternoon is at leisure and gives us the unique opportunity to float on the waters of what is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the whole world.

A day to relax at the hotel and finish your hand-stitching projects during morning and afternoon workshops. Why not end the day with another swim in the Dead Sea before a farewell dinner with your fellow stitchers.

After checking out of the hotel, we drive to Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport for our return flight to London.