“This desert spring is named for Lawrence of Arabia, who fought across these sands in the Arab Revolt and immortalised them in his memoir.”
About Lawrence's Spring
Wadi Rum served as a staging ground for the Arab Revolt against Ottoman rule during the First World War, in which T. E. Lawrence played a famous role. He wrote about the desert and its springs in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. This spring, a traditional Bedouin watering point fed by seepage from the rock and marked by an ancient Nabataean inscription, became linked to his name and legend.
Lawrence's Spring is a small desert spring on a hillside in Wadi Rum, named for its association with T. E. Lawrence, the British officer known as Lawrence of Arabia, who passed through and wrote about this desert during the Arab Revolt of the First World War. A patch of greenery clinging to the rock marks the precious water source in the arid landscape.
Lawrence's Spring is a small desert spring on a hillside in Wadi Rum, named for its association with T.
Lawrence of Arabia's Desert
Wadi Rum was a base for the Arab forces, with whom Lawrence fought against the Ottoman Empire, and he described its landscapes vividly in his memoir Seven Pillars of Wisdom. This spring, fed by water seeping from the rock and once used by Bedouin and their camels, came to bear his name. A short climb leads up to the spring and a Nabataean inscription, with sweeping views over the red desert that Lawrence knew.
The Experience
The route climbs a short, rocky path from the desert floor to reach the spring, where a green tangle of figs and mint marks the seeping water against the bare red rock, beside a Nabataean inscription. The reward is as much the view as the spring itself: a panorama over the dunes and mountains of Wadi Rum. It is a popular, easily reached stop on a jeep tour of the desert.
Why It Matters
Lawrence's Spring connects Wadi Rum's spectacular scenery to the dramatic history of the Arab Revolt and the legend of Lawrence of Arabia. It is a tangible link to the events and the famous memoir that helped make this desert known to the world, adding human history to the natural grandeur.
Lawrence's Spring connects Wadi Rum's spectacular scenery to the dramatic history of the Arab Revolt and the legend of Lawrence of Arabia.
Why Visit
A desert spring tied to the legend of Lawrence of Arabia, with a short climb to seeping water, a Nabataean inscription and sweeping Wadi Rum views.
✦ Insider Tips
- 1
It is a short rocky climb to the spring and the view.
- 2
Look for the Nabataean inscription beside the water.
- 3
The panorama over Wadi Rum is the real reward.
- 4
It is a common stop on desert jeep tours.
