The Baptism Site Commission, which boasts a unique religious, historical, and spiritual significance, strives to continually improve the experience of pilgrims and visitors to the site by providing services tailored to their needs, as well as providing the best services and internal transportation within organized programs led by qualified guides, taking into consideration people with disabilities, according to Engineer Rustum Mkjian, Director General of the Baptism Site Commission. Mkjian told Al Rai that the Baptism Site Commission has been developing the site since its establishment and improving its services to meet the needs of visitors and pilgrims in a manner befitting the site's religious and historical significance, while taking into consideration the spiritual significance of the site to provide a unique religious experience.
Regarding the mechanisms used by the Baptism Site Commission to increase the number of visitors and encourage them to visit the site, McGeian explained that the commission, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Jordan Tourism Board, is taking numerous measures, including providing low-cost flights for visitors, organizing visits to several European, African, and other countries to market and promote the site, and inviting clerics, journalists, and media personnel from various countries to learn about the Baptism Site and other religious sites, as well as all matters related to the services provided to visitors and pilgrims.
He added that a conference was held with representatives of Christian pilgrimage offices in France, held at the Baptism Site Conference Center on November 14, 2023, which contributed to an increase in the number of visitors from France shortly after the start of the Gaza events. The conference aimed to convey the image that Jordan is a safe country for tourism and home to important Christian pilgrimage sites, most notably the Baptism Site.
He continued by saying that tourism offices in Jordan were invited to the Baptism Site to learn about its importance and the availability of appropriate services for pilgrims. The Baptism Site will be included in the visitor programs. Furthermore, the John the Baptist Trail at the Baptism Site will be rehabilitated in 2024, under the direction of His Highness the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Baptism Site. This route consists of seven stations, starting at Tell Mar Elias and ending on the banks of the Jordan River opposite the Latin Church. This trail extends approximately 3.2 km along the length of Wadi al-Kharrar, in addition to encouraging domestic tourism.
He explained that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has sought to transform challenges into opportunities, beginning with the establishment of a visitor center that provides all services, amenities, and interpretive panels that narrate the site's story since its discovery, along with the most important discoveries and rare artifacts associated with Christian pilgrimage rituals. In addition, site guides have been trained to welcome pilgrims and enrich them with religious and historical information about the site's history since the important religious event of the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, peace be upon them, which marked the beginning of the Christian religion. The baptism and blessing rituals have continued in the Jordan River to this day. He added that the Authority was keen to provide the best services to all its visitors without exception, especially people with disabilities, by providing special paths for them to visit the most important religious and historical sites leading to the river, which narrates the story of the place and the most important events that took place there. During the Corona pandemic, a book was published in English entitled "The authentic baptism site of Jesus Christ", which documents the authenticity of the religious site east of the river according to historical sources, the sayings of travelers and pilgrims, archaeological discoveries and other sources. It is noteworthy that the Baptism Site "Bethany beyond the Jordan" is located in the Jordan Valley, north of the Dead Sea. Among the most important archaeological sites are Tell al-Kharrar (Tell Mar Elias) and the area of the churches built in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him. The cultural, historical, religious, and environmental significance of the site is highlighted by evidence proving that many of the prophets, peace be upon them, visited the site or lived there for a period of time, and that Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, was baptized there. This is based on what is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures, the statements of travelers and pilgrims, and archaeological discoveries that closely match the translations of the statements of some travelers and pilgrims who visited the Holy Land from various parts of the world and described what they saw during their visit to the site, in addition to the map of the Holy Land located in the Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba. The religious event of the baptism of Jesus Christ encouraged the construction of numerous churches and monasteries, distinguished by their architectural and engineering design, in this location since the end of the fifth century AD, for the performance of religious rituals and baptism ceremonies. Since its discovery, this site has become an important pilgrimage destination for Christians from around the world, who continue to practice baptism rites to this day. In 2015, the Baptism Site attracted global attention and was registered on the World Heritage List of the World Heritage Committee/UNESCO.
