Saturday, September 25, 2010

Day Fourteen: Jerash, Dead Sea, Amman

"I will love thee, O lord, my strength:"
Psalm 17:2
Today we had plans for a morning visit to Jerash, an ancient and well preserved provincial Roman town about 51 km north of Amman. (1) On the way, we stopped off at the Zarqa River, one of the larger tributaries that flows into the Jordan River. It was know in Biblical times as "Jabbok", which derives from the Hebrew "to flow' or "pour out." (2) The river is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, notably in Genesis when Jacob prepares to meet Esau (actually mistaken for the Jordan), (Gen 32: 4-22), and again after Jacob crosses the Jabbok to spend the night. It is in this story that Jacob wrestles with God and is renamed Israel. (Gen 32: 23-32) (2)
Jerash, like Ammon, is an ancient city that predates Roman occupation. Its origins date back to the Bronze Age and during Christ's time was known as the Roman city of Gerasa. (3) The town and its surrounding area is likely the "country of the Gerasenes" referred to in the New Testament. (Mark 5:1, Luke 8:26, 37.) (4)
The city of Jerash was part of the Decapolis, a group of ten Roman cities in the area of Judea and Syria. Nine of the ten cities are located in modern day Jordan. The most northern is Damascus in Syria, the most southern Ammon (Philadelphia.) (5) Most of these cities were formed during the Hellenistic period following the death of Alexander the Great. The term Decapolis however is identified with the period after the Roman conquest, though apparently much of the population maintained use of the Greek language. (5), (6)
Our tour began with the reconstructed hippodrome. Most of the stones were recovered from rubble, while others were created and added. (6) Tourism to the site is gaining popularity, and shows of Roman soldiers and chariot races are performed, though unfortunately not while we were there.
The small and well reconstructed Theatre nearby featured two Jordanians with instruments; one with a drum, the other with bagpipes. I must admit that the bagpipes threw me off somewhat. After several minutes of confusion and feelings of cultural antithesis, Robbie explained that the bagpipes originated from the Middle East - a fact somewhat contested through later research, though generally supported along with possible origins being Greek or Celtic. (7), (8), (9), (10) Robbie also explained how sound was amplified in the Theatre using hollows in the base of stone, which covered with skin would cause it to resonate. There was also a specific location centre stage, which would cast your voice perfectly off the surrounding architecture, allowing you to project sound further. If you stepped an inch off the mark, the effect would disappear.
We toured the rest of the site at leisure, climbing past rolling hills of wild flowers. Looking back from the top of one hill, I was able to get a picture of the sprawling city, including the oval Forum and the south end of the Cardo, with the modern city spread out behind it on a nearby hill. Ancient temples exist beside remains of Christian churches, which sprang up after Christianity was recognized in the Empire. Stopping to discuss roman engineering and architecture, we were offered tea made on the spot by very young boys, who carried stainless steel containers with them that steamed with hot water. The pillars that made up the Colonnade and other structures like the temples, were interlocked and stacked stones. Robbie demonstrated by pushing on one of them that they were designed to move in the wind, but still remain locked and durable.

Jerash was one of my favorite ancient sites to visit, both for its well preserved or reconstructed architecture, and for its setting in natural beauty, with green hills punctuated by yellow and red flowers under a warm blue sky. Soon however, we were on our way back to Ammon. As we had the rest of the day free and it would be our last full day in Jordan, we took a vote on what to do next. It was pretty much unanimously decided to visit the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea is basically made of salt, or at least approximately one third of it is. Which is why people float in it. The mud of the sea floor is rich with minerals and renowned for its healing properties. Resorts are everywhere and tourism relies heavily on the famous properties of the water. Unfortunately, the sea is reported to be shrinking through evaporation and diversion of its source waters. Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan all have diverted water away from the Jordan River, and its tributaries, which flows from the north of the Sea of Galilee, through the Jordan River Valley, and into the Dead Sea. (11) Talks have begun about connecting the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, to counter the effects, though many environmentalists oppose it, and it would cost an exorbitant amount of money. Both the Jordan River and Dead Sea are essentially considered ecologically endangered. (11), (12)
Since the Dead Sea is 1385 ft below sea level, we spent some considerable time descending from higher mountainous elevation. As we approached, we were able to see just how large it was, dotted with resorts along its shores, with the Israeli mountains in the distance. Apparently one cannot just visit the sea without paying for access to it through a resort. So our tour company arranged lunch at a local resort that would then grant us access to their facilities and beach. The lunch was excellent, though most of us ate quickly, anticipating getting out and into the water. We were warned by Robbie that due to the high salt content, it was not recommended to have any bowel movements prior to swimming. We all obeyed this command, except for one person in our group, who later claimed that "it wasn't that bad." (For more on swimming tips and experiences look up: http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/18748/Dead-Sea-18 )
The water really is buoyant. Its almost impossible to stay motionless, as your body wants to tip over at the slightest movement. Mostly I laid on my back, or rather more of a sitting position and paddled my way out to sea. I made it quite a ways out, where soon the voices from the beach started to drop off. I thought about swimming (or paddling, as swimming is rather difficult) all the way to Israel and wondered if anyone has tried this, and whether or not Israel patrols the shores of the sea closely. Paddling back into land, I followed everyone else's lead and covered myself head to foot in the salt and mineral rich mud. It actually stung a bit, which I supposed was the effects of the salt. After a quick outdoor shower we retired to the poolside to dry off. The resort had several elaborate pools, which were packed with tourists, which apparently attracted more attention than the sea.
In the evening we all met at a popular local's restaurant in Ammon for our final meal together before we said our goodbyes. Tomorrow I would be leaving Jordan and entering Israel.


The last note in my journal for this day also mentions that there was a truck driving slowly through the neighbourhood with music playing, delivering and selling propane much in the same manner we would experience an ice cream truck rolling through residential streets in North America.

Theatre in Jerash, Jordan

Jerash, Jordan

 Dead Sea, Jordan


(1) Jordan Visitor's Guide. Jerash, pg 20. Jordan Tourism Board, 2006
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Monday, September 13, 2010

Day Thirteen: Shawbak, Madaba, Amman

"Thou hast made known to me the ways of life, thou shalt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand are delights even to the end."
- Psalm 15:11
Call to prayer through a loudspeaker at 5 am woke me up. I was slowly getting used to the multiple calls broadcast throughout the day, but the early morning ones still caught me off guard. Today we were traveling to Shawbak Fortress, a crusader castle built in a strategic location between Aqaba and the Dead Sea. Also know as Shoubak, Krak de Montreal, or Mons Regalis, it gave the crusaders some control over important pilgrimage and trade routes and acted as a buffer to the Holy Land. (1), (2). Constructed in 1115 by Baldwin 1 of Jerusalem, it fell to Saladin's army in 1187. It was later occupied by the Mamluks and then by villagers that were part of the Ottoman Empire. (2)
The fortress sits atop a steep rocky hill in what was then a relatively fertile area. (2) We walked the long road that wraps its way upward to the base of the castle. Most of the original structure was crumbling or in ruins, but we were able to explore dark passages, pass under decaying archways, and descend a spiraling staircase that eventually turned toward pitch black (at which point I headed back up.) The fortress was built with escape routes and tunnels cut deep below it into the bedrock. Robbie explained that many of these were natural water tunnels dug wider, some which led to springs outside the castle walls. Apparently the castle supported up to approximately 2000 people.
The surrounding geography was very unique. The hill the castle stood on and the ones surrounding it looked like they were created by dramatic movement in the earth's surface. The strata lines were very prominent and ran almost vertical in places instead of horizontal, giving a wonderful feeling of being somewhat off-balance. Built into the sides of the hills were simple stone huts constructed during Ottoman rule.
We boarded our bus again and continued heading north to the Dana Nature Reserve. The Reserve is 308 square kilometers of preserved land, representing three distinct climates and containing many rare plant and animal species. (3) The women from the local tribe have created their own artisan workshop, creating handmade items to sell in the gift shop. We were able to tour their facility, and the women were friendly and allowed us to observe them as they cut, grinded, sanded, and finished metal decorations and jewelry. Many of us purchased items in their gift shop. I picked out a contemporary looking olive coloured handbag and eyeglasses case, along with some local dried fruit as souvenir gifts.
We continued north toward Madaba. The landscape began to appear much greener and flatten out as we descended from higher elevation. The sky became overcast and the air a little more cool and humid. On the outskirts of the city we stopped for pictures as our guide had spotted a black iris growing in a farmer's field off the side of the road. Actually there were several more dotted here and there in fields. Apparently the iris is rare, a bit temperamental to its growing conditions, and blooms for a short period of time. (4) Robbie seemed surprised that we were able to see one in bloom.
Madaba sits among rich agricultural land, in a slightly rolling landscape. It is one of the more populated cities in Jordan, situated about 30 km south-west of the capital, Amman. It is mentioned in the Old Testament as a Moabite city (Nb 21:30, Jos 13:9). (5) Much of the city lies on top of Roman and Byzantine ruins and is renowned for its preserved and restored mosaics. Most famous is the 6th century mosaic map on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. Though partially destroyed during the iconoclast controversy, the map is quite stunning and details the cites of the Holy Land, with Jerusalem as its centre. In its original state, the map would have been 25 x 5 metres and contained 2 million individual stones. (6) Following the visit to the church, we were brought to the local mosaic factory where the process was explained to us and then we were invited to browse the giant warehouse of mosaic gifts. Though somewhat interesting (I couldn't afford a $600 mosaic covered concrete table, let alone the shipping costs) I spent a good part of this time in the parking lot being hounded by a bee while waiting for the rest of our group.
Leaving Madaba, we passed the exit for Mt. Nebo. Unfortunately it was closed due to some restoration work or safety concerns. Mt Nebo is recognized in tradition as the site where Moses is buried. The mountain overlooks the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, Jericho and the mountains of Jerusalem. (7) Pope John Paul II visited the site in 2000, followed by Pope Benedict in 2009.
Approaching Amman, the first thing that struck me was how large it was, the second was how white and grey it was. Like much of Egypt and Jordan, Amman was awash in concrete buildings, this time more white in tint, with new construction being quite prevalent. Amman is the largest city in Jordan (population approx. 2 million) and is also one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world (Damascus and a number of other cities also hold this title.) (8), (9) Ammon is referenced in the Bible, was known under the name Philadelphia during Ptolemaic rule, and was one of the ten cities in the Roman Decapolis. (8) Today it is a dynamic mix of ancient and modern.
Driving through the streets I noticed the large number of shops, advertisements, or billboards for bridal wear. I had noticed the same thing in Madaba, so much so that I wondered if it generated a large part of their economies. Every street had a shop, sign or billboard. In some cases there may have been several shops on one street. Both cities also had dense retail areas. Most of the shops were fabric or clothing marketed for women. Actually probably about 95% of them were marketed to women. Men seemed to be relegated to the odd smoke shop and a few electronics stores.
We passed some rather expensive looking houses, enclosed behind gates, before we pulled up to our hotel. Each of us was on our own for dinner, so after finding my room and unpacking a few things, I wandered out and walked uphill toward the area that seemed to have the most restaurants. I can be terribly indecisive at times, and spent about 20 or 30 minutes walking up and down the same blocks before choosing a shawarma place that seemed busy with locals. I ordered two of the same item, which was a simple wrap with spiced chicken which came to a total of 1.70 dinar (about $2.47 Canadian.) I walked back to the hotel and ate in the courtyard where a car honking competition erupted nearby, punctuated by "Easy Lover" playing on someone's stereo. (I also noticed in my journal that I had a couple notes: one was that I had roughly the same thing for lunch - though can't recall any details -and the other was a note that I couldn't remember who wrote "Easy Lover," though now it seems totally obvious to me and I don't know how I forgot that, having grown up in the eighties.)
After dinner I explored the area around our hotel, taking care not to go too far as I didn't want to find myself lost. I was hoping to attend Mass, but could not find a Catholic Church. Though at one point I believe I heard bells but couldn't locate where they were coming from. I took some evening pictures and headed back to the hotel.

Shawbak Fortress, Jordan.

View from Shawbak Fortress, Jordan

Black Iris, Jordan's National Flower

Madaba, Jordan

6th C. Mosaic Map of Holy Land. Madaba, Jordan

Amman, Jordan


(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_(Crusader_castle
(6) Jordan Visitor's Guide. Madaba, pg 12. Jordan Tourism Board, 2006.
(7) Jordan Visitor's Guide. Madaba, pg 13. Jordan Tourism Board, 2006.

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Sunday, September 5, 2010

Day Twelve: Petra

"Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest in thy holy hill?
- Psalm 14:1
I spent most of the night violently sick off and on for several hours. I woke feeling still nauseous but somewhat more stable. I went for a walk early before breakfast to see if I could find a pharmacy. There were not too many shops open and I almost gave up before finding a small grocery store. I did my best to signal that I required something to ease my stomach, though in hindsight I realized they interpreted it as intending to vomit, and was talked into a bottle of mysterious "oil."

As we boarded the bus I showed my bottle of oil to Robbie who shook his head at me and directed the driver to stop by a pharmacy on the way out of town. I should have know I bought the wrong product as the young Bedouin boy who assisted the shopkeeper was trying very hard not to laugh. At the pharmacy, I was given two separate boxes of medication, which after reading the confusing descriptions and information, I decided to hold off using.
I had taken two buns and a piece of cheese from breakfast with me onto the bus to eat later. I had decided it was food poisoning, but could not figure out where I had contacted it from. The fact that the rest of our group was fine had a distinct air of irony, as they were far less cautious than I was when choosing food from the buffet the evening before. Perhaps this was a lesson about trust.
We were on our way to Petra, the ancient Nabatean city carved from rock that dates back to the 6th century. (1) Know famously as a location in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the city was forgotten about by the western world until 1812 when it was re-discovered by a Swiss explorer who disguised himself as a Muslim pilgrim in order to be led to the lost city. (2)
The entrance to the city is through a narrow gorge, which can be accessed on foot, by horse, or horse-drawn carts. The gorge was fairly deep, taking twists and turns as it gently slopes downhill past amazing colour variations and layers in the rock. Along the bottom of the steep walls were water channels inlaid with ceramic that would have transported water into the city. Carved images on the walls were barely visible, the soft sandstone being eroded over time. As you round the last bend in the road, you are greeted with a breathtaking view of the Nabatean treasury towering in front of you, peering out from between the narrow walls of the gorge.
Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in a valley on the slope of the Biblical Mt. Hor (see Num 33:37.) (3) In an area originally occupied by the Horites and Edomites, the city became the capital of the Nabateans who accumulated wealth largely through controlling the main trade routes that passed though their land. Attacked unsuccessfully many times, it eventually came under power of the Romans, and incorporates much Roman and Greek influence in architecture. Petra is also know in Arab tradition to be the place where Moses struck the rock with his staff to produce water for the Israelites, and Mt Hor is held to be the mountain where Moses' brother Aaron is buried. Christianity was brought to the city in the 4th century, (1) and it was occupied by Crusaders from about the 11th to the 12th century. (1), ( 4)

The Treasury sits in a semi-circular open area that also contains hundreds of other elaborately decorated facades carved out from the rock. Further to our left, as the road widens into a larger basin, a Roman styled Amphitheater can be seen. The Treasury is visually the most dominating of the structures, well preserved, and draws the most attention from tourists. It was created for the ritual preparations that would accompany the burial of the dead. Most of the other facades were created as tombs, though erosion has removed much of their detailing. Unfortunately, many of the habitations were destroyed by earthquakes, apparently not built as sound as the tombs that were meant to last through the afterlife.(5) Walking down the wide dirt road from this area, you move into a wider section of the basin, eventually passing a number of Roman ruins that were under excavation. From here you have a great view of what the city would have looked like, and just how large its centre would have been.
Our group stopped for a quick lunch (I just had a couple pieces of potato and some bread) before deciding to walk the 45 minutes to an upper area that housed the Al-Deir Monastery. The trail was narrow and steep, which included climbing 800 rock-cut stairs, but gave great views into the surrounding valleys far below.(5) We had to occasionally step aside for donkeys carrying tourists up and down the path. Along the way there are local Bedouins with small tables selling all kinds of jewelery and other ware. As you exit the narrow path at the top, you come out into another open hilly area, where the Monastery is situated directly to your right.

It's name is somewhat inaccurate, as in Nabatean times it was likely a temple or a tomb facade. The name Monastery may derive from crosses inscribed on the walls inside, and according to our guide, it was later used by Christians during the Byzantine era. It is larger than the Treasury, measuring 50 m wide by 45 m high and like the Treasury, contains one main chamber cut from the rock. (5), (6)
The area surrounding the Monastery was completely open to the sun. It was late afternoon and I was moving very slowly through the sweltering heat. At various elevations above the Monastery were look out points that gave incredible views of the mountain ranges that stretched long distances to other ranges beyond, or to dry rolling hills or flat valleys that were barely visible through the haze. After meandering around for a while, I found a road that led around the right side of the mountain. I followed its twists and turns for a considerable distance as it led away from the main tourist site. In the hillsides some distance away I was surprised to see even more ruins, proving just how sprawling the ancient city would have been (upwards of 30,000 people as of the 1st century B.C.) (6)
Eventually meeting up again, our small group headed back down to the main part of the city, taking time to explore more tomb structures and ancient roman ruins. There was almost too much to see, and soon it was time to meet at our arranged location. I was thankful to be out of the heat temporarily as we climbed the dark path that led through the narrow gorge back to the parking lot.
It was a tiring but enjoyable day. I had a slight burn on my neck and my stomach was still unsettled. I went for a swim in the hotel pool which was freezing cold but very refreshing. It looked as if no one had used it in a long time but I wasn't so concerned about that at the time. After a small dinner I sat on the outdoor patio while the evening calls to prayer were being broadcast over a loudspeaker. Later I checked my email, using up the rest of the internet time I had bought.


"Preserve me O Lord, for I have put my trust in thee. I have said to the Lord, thou art my God, for thou hast no need of my goods."
- Psalm 15:1-2


Making our way through the gorge. Petra, Jordan.

The Treasury. Petra, Jordan.

Desert Police. Petra, Jordan.

Monastery, Petra, Jordan.

Nabatean and Roman ruins. Petra, Jordan.


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