Dana Biosphere Reserve: Jordan's Natural Gem
The Dana Biosphere Reserve, which is situated in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is the largest and the most popular nature reserve in the country. South Central Jordan, in a small community called Dana, which happens to be located along the perimeter of a great natural fissure known as Wadi Dana, the reserve provides stunning views of the Wadi Araba. The region of Dana is known as one of the finest assets of Jordan for it has extraordinarily beautiful and unique nature.
True to its name, the Dana Reserve is a haven above the rest, where one can comfortably meditate or spend time in nature, while in the mountains, knotted under the starry sky and breathing in the crisp air. The reserve which unobtrusively protects the area's wilderness, was established by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) and covers an area of 308 square kilometers ranging from the northern slope of the Jordan Rift Valley to the arid desert plains of Wadi Araba in the south. Archaeological finds testify to a Paleolithic, Egyptian, Nabataean and Roman presence in the region.
Dana Biosphere Reserve, the largest biosphere reserve in Jordan, is affiliated with the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature, with an area of 308 square kilometers, established in 1989, located in Tafila Governorate, at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level, above the Qadisiyah Plateau, and extending towards the plains of the Wadi Araba Desert to the west.
Snow usually visits it in the winter, adding to its breathtaking beauty, and on its high-rise mountains a majestic scene in which the clouds mix with the color of the snow. Dana Reserve is characterized by its shrub-covered mountains and polished sandstone cliffs, and is the only reserve in Jordan that includes four different geographical regions, containing animals from the desert, Mediterranean forests and the dry Russian steppes.