Wadi Rum is famous for being Lawrence of Arabia's favorite hangout for about nine months during the Arab Revolt, but it was important long before then as one of the main trade routes from Turkey and Israel south to Oman, the source of the spice Frankincense. These days it's mostly inhabited by tourists and the formerly Bedouin tribes who are now settling down and naming various features of their landscape after T.E. Lawrence in respect to their British hero and in a shrewd marketing move to Western tourists. The canyon itself is stunning; the perfect setting for Romantic filmmakers and adventurous wanderers.