Jordan & Syria: International Travel Maps

This map covers two countries in the Middle East where the local language is Arabic, but all names on the map are written in English (with Latin letters).

When folded the dimensions are 10 x 25 cm.

When folded out the dimensions are 68 x 99 cm.

On one side there is a map of Syria. The scale is 1:740,000, so 1 cm is about 7 km. In the bottom right corner there is a map of the Syrian capital Damascus.

 

A 2.1 cm marker equals 200 m.

On the other side there is a map of Jordan. The scale is 1:610,000, so 1 cm is about 6 km. In the bottom right corner there is a map of the Jordanian capital Amman.

 

A 3.6 cm marker equals 1 km.

I visited Syria some years ago, but while I was there I had a local driver, so I did not have to worry about finding the way. When I look at the Syrian map today, I find that all the places which I visited are shown on the map.

On the right side of the map there is a box with an index. Unfortunately, it is not complete. Some locations shown on the map are not listed in the index. Let me give you a few examples:

(1) Apamea is shown on the map but not listed in the index. The ancient town Apamea is located 55 km north of Hama.

(2) Dura Europos is shown on the map but not listed in the index. The ancient town Dura Europos is located on the right bank of the river Euphrates in the south eastern corner of Syria.

(3) Krak de Chevaliers is shown on the map – spelled Craq des Chevaliers – but not listed in the index. The famous crusader fort is located 40 km west of Homs.

I visited Jordan in March 2011, and while I was there, I drove all over the country - more than 1,400 km - in a rental car, so I had to find the way by myself. I used this map and I used the maps in my guidebooks:

** Lonely Planet

** The Rough Guide

We had a GPS in the car, but sometimes all the maps and the GPS were not enough, so we had to rely on the road signs (written in Arabic and in English) and on local people who were very helpful when we asked them for directions. In the end we found all the locations we wanted to visit.

Sometimes there are no signs. But in this case there are two signs next to each other with exacly the same message: Qasr Al Hallabat, one of the desert castles in the eastern part of Jordan.

The map of Jordan is slightly more detailed than the map of Syria, but it is not always up to date. Let me mention one example:

Aqaba, in the far south, is Jordan’s only harbour. The distance from Aqaba to the Saudi Arabian border (Ad-Durra) is about 20 km. Between Aqaba and Ad-Durra there is a new development area called Tala Bay, where we stayed for two nights. It is about 5 km from the border and about 15 km from Aqaba. Both Aqaba and Ad-Durra are shown on the map, but Tala Bay is not.

This picture is taken south of Aqaba. When you see this sign, you will know that this is the end of the line. You need a visa to cross the border into Saudi Arabia. If you are driving a rental car, you are not allowed to take it out of the country. You will have to turn around and go north.

On the right side of the map there is an index. Unfortunately, it is not complete. Petra - the most famous place in Jordan – is shown on the map but not listed in the index. The modern village Wadi Musa next to Petra is listed. Sometimes the spelling of Arabic words is tricky. Mukawir near the Dead Sea is shown on the map and listed in the index as Muqawir.

If you have to drive in Syria or Jordan, this map may help you. I strongly recommend that you get a GPS, if it is available. This will help you even more than a map, if it is working and if your destination is in the GPS system. We often found that the GPS gave the answer “not found.” Sometimes a different spelling may help you, but not always. If the GPS cannot help you, it is good to have a map.

This is a road in Jordan - but you are not going to drive on this road. This is a short section of an ancient Roman road, which you can see in Madaba Archaeological Park.

A word of advice: Do not drive in Damascus or Amman relying on a map or the street signs. You cannot read the map while driving, and the map may not cover all the necessary details, such as one way streets. The street signs are sometimes missing or if they are there, the letters are so small you cannot read them from a far distance.

If you are driving in Amman and if you slow down a bit because you are not sure where to go, do not expect any patience or understanding from local drivers. They will honk their horn, as soon as you slow down, even if a sticker on the back of your car indicates that you are a foreigner (driving a rental car) who does not know every single street in the capital.

The GPS is a life saver if you have to drive in a foreign city. You have to pay a bit extra for it, perhaps five Euros per day, but the money is well spent. Even the locals need it: the agent from the rental car company who installed the GPS in our car told us:

“I am Jordanian, and I live in Amman, but sometimes even I have to use the GPS to find my way around the city.”

One final observation: What about the price? At 7.19 British pounds this map is almost as expensive as a guidebook to Syria or Jordan. If you are not going to drive by yourself, you do not need this map. If you have to drive by yourself, I will recommend it, but for reasons mentioned above I can only give it four out of five stars.

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Jordan & Syria,

International Travel Maps, 

Third edition, 2010

 

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