Azraq Wetland Reserve, Wetland nature reserve and Ramsar site in Azraq, Zarqa Governorate, Jordan

Azraq Wetland Reserve is a protected area in eastern Jordan defined by natural water pools, flowing streams, and marshland sitting between limestone and basalt deserts. The terrain consists of shallow shorelines and thick reed beds surrounded by otherwise dry landscape.

The wetlands formed around 250,000 years ago, fed by aquifers. Azraq lay at the crossing of trade routes and bird migrations, and its freshwater drew camel caravans carrying spices and herbs between Arabia, Mesopotamia and Syria. In the 1960s water was pumped from the aquifers to supply Amman; the springs dried up by 1992 and the water buffalo died.

The name Azraq comes from the Arabic word for blue, evoking the water pools that make this place look like an oasis surrounded by desert. The wetlands and reed zones have long been a gathering spot for migratory birds that rest here during their journeys.

A raised walkway called the Marsh Trail winds about 1.5 kilometers through the reserve, allowing visitors to move safely through the wetlands and view the habitat. Observation platforms and viewing huts are positioned at key spots for watching birds and wildlife.

The Azraq Killifish, a small fish, is the only vertebrate species resident in the oasis and is found nowhere else in the wild. The reserve also records about 307 bird species, including migrants such as the ruff and avocet, and its plants include reeds, Phragmites and tamarisk.