Discover the King’s Highway, an ancient trade route which could be the world’s oldest continuously used road. Here’s what happened when I road tripped its surviving fragments in modern-day Jordan!
The King’s Highway is one of the oldest continuously used roads in the world. For more than 5,000 years, it has been a vital artery of trade, pilgrimage, and conquest, linking Egypt to Mesopotamia, running through the heart of the Levant.
Today, it remains a road of immense historical significance, cutting through Jordan from the south to the north, passing through ancient ruins, Crusader castles, and towns that have stood for millennia, as it now follows the route of modern Highway 35.
I recently had the opportunity to travel this remarkable highway, following in the footsteps of pharaohs, Nabataeans, Roman legions, and medieval Crusaders. From Wadi Rum to Petra, and onwards to Madaba, the journey revealed not only Jordan’s layered past but also the resilience of those who live along this historic route today.
If you’d rather watch the journey in action, then check out my YouTube video about the King’s Highway:
Table of Contents
Setting out on the King’s Highway
Leaving Wadi Rum behind, we turned off the Desert Highway and onto Highway 35—the modern reincarnation of the ancient King’s Highway. The road itself has been repaved and modernised, yet still follows the same route that countless traders, pilgrims, kings, travellers and warriors once traversed. Our first major destination was Petra, the legendary Nabataean city carved into rock.
On the journey north to Petra, the mist rolled in unexpectedly, shrouding the desert in an eerie fog. “Not what I was particularly expecting to see in Jordan,” I remarked, watching the clouds creep over the sandstone cliffs. But the altitude changes along this route bring dramatic shifts in weather, a reminder of how this region has always been shaped by its rugged geography.
Petra: an ancient city devoid of tourists
Petra is, without doubt, the jewel of the King’s Highway. Once a thriving trade hub of the Nabataean kingdom, it now stands as an archaeological marvel, its tombs and temples hewn into sandstone cliffs millennia ago.
Despite its global fame, Petra felt eerily empty. Political instability in the broader region has caused a sharp drop in visitors. Visit Petra recorded well over a million visitors in 2023, a figure which dropped dramatically to just 457,000 in 2023. Where once crowds would have thronged the Siq, the narrow canyon leading into Petra, we found ourselves walking almost alone, accompanied only by our guide, Mo’tasem, a local from Wadi Musa.
“More than 70% of Petra is still buried beneath the sand,” Mo’tasem explained as we entered the site. “What you see today is only a small part of what once was. The Nabataeans were master builders, but they did not leave many written records. We know them through their architecture, not their words.”
The Nabataeans, once nomadic Arab traders, settled in Petra in the 4th century BC. Their knowledge of water conservation allowed them to thrive in the harsh desert environment. As we walked past ancient channels carved into the rock, Mo’tasem pointed them out. “They built these to catch and store rainwater. Without this, Petra could never have been a capital. The Nabataeans were desert people, and they knew that water meant survival.”
We eventually reached the Treasury, Petra’s most famous monument. No one is certain what it was originally used for—perhaps a royal tomb, perhaps a temple. Its intricate façade, carved directly into the rock face, stood as a testament to Nabataean craftsmanship.
“There is much we don’t know about Petra,” Mahmoud continued. “But one thing is certain: the Nabataeans were connected to the great civilisations of their time. They traded with Egypt, Rome and Mesopotamia. The King’s Highway helped them do that.”
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Castles of crusaders and sultans
Leaving Petra behind, we continued north. The King’s Highway winds through the highlands of Jordan, where medieval castles loom over the landscape. Built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, these fortresses were strategic strongholds in the battles for control of the Holy Land.
Our first stop was Shobak Castle, perched on a remote and windswept hilltop. The visitor centre was closed, and the site was nearly deserted. The Crusaders built Shobak Castle to control the King’s Highway, because from here, medieval knights could oversee the trade and pilgrimage routes below, taxing merchants and intercepting enemy forces.
Further along the highway, we reached Kerak, one of the largest Crusader castles in the region. Once the stronghold of Reynald de Châtillon, a notoriously ruthless Crusader lord, Kerak was later besieged and captured by Saladin in 1183. This marked the beginning of the end for the Crusader presence in the area.
Mo’tasem had earlier explained how the King’s Highway became a dividing line between Crusader-held lands and Muslim-controlled territories. “This road was always a border, always contested,” he said. “The Crusaders used these castles to hold their ground, but they could not hold them forever.”
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Madaba: The crossroads of religions
Our final stop along the King’s Highway was Madaba, a town renowned for its ancient mosaics. The most famous of these is the 6th-century Mosaic Map, housed in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. This detailed floor mosaic depicts the Holy Land as it was more than 1,500 years ago, showing Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and the surrounding biblical sites.
Madaba remains a centre of Jordan’s Christian community. “Here, Muslims and Christians have lived together for centuries,” our guide Fadi, a local Christian, told us. “This is a holy place for both. That is why Madaba has survived.”
As we walked through the quiet streets, the impact of recent tourism declines was visible. Shops that once catered to visitors stood empty. Restaurant owners waited patiently for customers who never arrived. “Three months ago, before the war in Gaza, this place was full,” Fadi continued. “Now, people are afraid to come. But Jordan is safe.”
The King’s Highway: A journey through history
The King’s Highway is living history. It has been a trade route, a pilgrimage path, and a battlefield. It has seen the rise and fall of empires, the passing of prophets, the conquests of kings and sultans. It has connected people and places for thousands of years, and it continues to do so today.
Travelling this road, it was impossible not to feel a sense of awe at the history beneath our wheels. From the lost grandeur of Petra to the Crusader strongholds of the Middle Ages, from the mosaics of Madaba to the modern-day Jordanian towns that still rely on this route, the King’s Highway remains a tribute to human connection.
As the sun set over Madaba, marking the end of our journey, I thought about the countless travellers who had come this way before. Traders carrying silk and spices, pilgrims seeking the Holy Land, Roman soldiers marching to war, Bedouins leading their camels through the desert—all had walked this path.
And now, so had we.
Read more: How Many Countries Are in the Middle East? Everything You Need to Know.
There you are. My journey along the King’s Highway is complete! Would you drive this ancient road?
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