Wadi Rum

A protected desert valley in southern Jordan characterised by massive sandstone and granite formations rising from a flat red-sand floor, some reaching 1,700 metres in elevation. The interplay of rock colour — deep burgundy, ochre, and rose — shifts dramatically through the day, with pre-dawn blue light and the minutes around sunrise and sunset offering the most intense photographic conditions. The area was used as a base by T.E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt and has served as a stand-in for Mars in multiple film productions. Overnight camps beneath the open sky allow observation of exceptional star density.