Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in between

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Between Amman and Jerash we stopped at the castle at Aljoun and got our first exposure to the 'Crusader' conflict in historical Jordan. We've all heard of the Crusades of course, but Jordan was one of the 'pointy ends' of the conflict. Again, Lonely Planet was one of my instructors on local history.

Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in 324 AD and this solidified the existing religious practices of the region and Christian pilgrims tramped the whole area for centuries. In the early 600s, armies of Islam came from the south and invaded into Spain in the west and present day Jordan and Syria in the east (including Jerusalem) and elsewhere of course. Anyone who has visited southern Spain will have admired the 'Moorish' influence.

In the 12th and 13th century, Christianity fought back and armies and mercenaries came through Jordan, building fortifications along the way. A number of these 'Crusader Castles' remain today, nearly always on strategic promontories and hills; we will see some of these later. The Muslims of course built defensive fortifications and the castle at Ajloun, NW of Jerash is a fine exampole.

Ajloun Castle was built in the late 1100s by a general of Saladin - again, many would have heard of Saladin, Sultan of Egypt and Syria, a great leader of the Muslims throughout the region. The Mongols largely destroyed the castle in the 1200s, but it was re-built and is in moderate condition today. Most of the towers have gone, but there is a fine collection of passages and rooms preserved and the castle is well presented and lit internally. Admittance is 1JD ($1.50). Everywhere in Jordan we found admission fees to be low like this, except for the 'biggies' like Petra (50JD = $75).

The castle presents a fine sight on approach. In the valley adjoining, the driver pointed out some 600 year old olive trees. they looked it!




As I said, the castle is well presented by the authorities, outside and in:






After a climb to the top, one can see how well positioned the castle is, with outlook over the Jordan Valley and three rivers that feed it:

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Jerash

Modern day Jerash, north of Amman hosts a wonderfully preserved Roman city. In Roman times, Jerash (or Gerasa) was a major settlement for Rome from about 64 AD for several centuries and was declared a 'Colony' (as opposed to being part of Syria) in the third Century. It was severely damaged in an earthquake in to 700s.

We arrived about 1pm and time for lunch. The tour usually goes to established "western friendly" restaurants and this was a good example, especially as we arrived before the tour busses. Its a great buffet which together with some nice lime/mint drinks cost us about 21 JD each (abt $30). We were a bit stunned by the cost - it would be quite OK in the West, but this place must absolutely 'clean up' considering the cost of the basic materials - rice, salad and some meats. By the time we left there would have been about 100 patrons, and busses were still pulling up. But the place was nice and shady, clean and well provisioned - but we wouldn't go to similar again on the trip, preferring either fresh fruit or local establishments.




The Jerash site is large and takes a couple of hours just for the basic once over, which is about the time we had. None of us were Roman scholars, so we hired a guide (abt $30). The Roman site is entered via Hadrian's Arch, built in 129 AD to commemorate a visit by Emperor Hadrian.




Immediately after the Arch was the Hippodrome - basically an athletic and chariot racing stadium. Its not a Coliseum, so Charlton Heston wasn't on show, but you could really imagine the chariot racing wheeling around the stadium. It originally could seat about 15,000.




Then onto the South Gate, where some restoration is occurring. The operation of the crane, suspending a tonne or so of column and swinging it over the tourist's heads probably wouldn't meet Australian OH&S standards, but everything was basically OK! We were struck by how few people were about. We had left a couple of busloads behind at the restaurant, but the experience here re-infornced what we hears that tourism was well down, due to what was happening in Syria. Absolute garbage!




And then we arrived at the Forum. Partly reconstructed, but mostly intact from ancient times (built abt 50 AD), an oval (90 x 80m) of joined columns, it was one of the focal points of the Roman town. Its now on a bit of a tilt, and the guide said that was because of earthquakes and/or undermining by water.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

From the Forum one goes up the 800m long main colonnaded road or 'cardo maximus'. Behind about 500 columns down either side were shops and markets. The flagstones of the road are at an angle so that cart wheels don't get caught in the ruts. Under the road is a drain, accessible here and there by access holes or 'man holes', just like today's roads.




To the left of the street is a fountain, or Nymphaeum built in 191 AD. Then there is the entrance and staircase to the Temple of Zeus, built in 162.




The small North Theatre appears, and then we climb up to the magnificent Temple of Artemis (to the Greeks, or Diana to the Romans).




The scale of the temple is better gained by this panorama. Its huge!




The next photograph shows something very significant for Jerash. See the columns partly buried? All over the site there is banks of earth, yet to be excavated, There will probably be a large number of magnificent Roman buildings yet to be exposed. To the right below is the main South Theatre, once seating 5000 and built about 90 AD. It was being set up for a modern performance when we were there and the guy with the bagpipes, (photo above) was doing good business, mainly, I think, to get him to stop.



Happy to post more photos of Jerash (only scratched the surface here ), but we are not yet at the end of the first full day of the tour, so need to move along ...

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

A word on the Intercontinental in Amman. It opened 50 years ago and was the first major hotel in Amman. A new 'Delux' wing was opened some years ago. We found it a reasonable place; rooms were a bit dated, but perfectly comfortable. The mini bar was possibly the best stocked of any I have come across! Eight - count 'em, 8 small bottles of scotch (2x 4 different varieties), 2 vodkas, 2 gins, 2 rums, 2 small bottles of red wine, beer etc etc.




Lobby was light and airy, although did reek of smoke from time to time - there are no 'non smoking' areas anywhere - including in the restaurants.





We didn't venture into the pool - in fact no-one did, as far as we could see, although there was a nice terrace area to have drinks on.





Security, like all the hotels we saw in Jordan was real and reasonably serious. The Intercon had raised car barriers and inspection of the trunk and car underneath (mirror on a stick) before a car could enter and there was no parking directly outside the hotel.

 

[amaroo]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Inspiring TR.

Looks interesting enough to get me thinking about planning a visit.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Next day, we drove from Amman to Petra (Wadi Musa) via the Kings Highway (an old Spice Route down the highland spine of west Jordan) with a number of stops in between.

First stop was Mt Nebo, where Moses stood and saw the Promised Land and later died and is buried nearby (exact locale unknown). The plaque probably explains it better.




There is a basilica on the summit, built about 600 AD with great mosaics etc but unfortunately, or fortunately, depending how you want to look at it, its closed for restoration. One is just left with a small display and the magnificent view, which directly over-looks the Jordan River and Valley, Jericho, and the Dead Sea off to the left. We get a closer look at all of these later.



It was a bit hazy in the morning light, but you can make out the eastern (Jordanian) and northern shores of the Dead Sea at the left pic below, and somewhere in the far haze on the right is Jericho. Beyond the green settled patch in the middle is the Jordan River and the site of Jesus' baptism (more on that later too).



Mt Nebo is near Madaba which is famous for its mosaics. Between Mt Nebo and Madaba we went off the beaten track to a recently unearthed (beneath a house, actually) mosaic, near the already known Khirbet Mukhayyat village. A covering building now protects the mosaic (about 5 x 10m), which shows a number of scenes daily life.

 

[lmere12]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Loving your TR, very interesting

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Thanks Imere12 Doing these TRs is a great way to review and sort pics and to remember what the heck was in the photos!

Madaba is well known (although not by me prior to my visit) for its Byzantine (5th & 6th Century) mosaics. The most famous one is the 'mosaic map' at the Greek orthodox St George's church in Madaba. Basically its a stylised map of the Jordan/Israel/Palestine area, put down in 560AD. originally 15 x 25m, its not only a small portion of that, having been mostly destroyed over time. It was re-discovered in the late 1800s.

Frankly we were a bit disappointed, given the hype our driver had given it. Its in a roped off area in a modest Greek orthodox church, and its hard to make out the detail which makes sense of the map. North is to the top left. You can make out the Dead Sea at the top right here, with the Jordan River to the left (north). Most of the lower part of the map is present day Israel. A sign may make things a bit clearer.






Carrying on south down the King's Highway, we came across a completely unexpected highlight - Wadi al Mujib. As I mentioned before, the King's Highway travels down the spine of a roughly north-south range of mountains; the Dead Sea is to the west. Wadi al Mujib is a valley cutting through the mountain range, and if the valley walls were steeper, it would easily rival the Grand Canyon. Its about 1km deep and 4km wide. This panorama is looking south, down the line of the mountains. The road continuing south can be seen climbing up the left of the mountain on the other side and a dam at the left.




The facilities aren't that good (only joking .. these are old ones - more modern ones are present at this lookout)




Just like the Grand Canyon, there is a dam in the valley, but this one's a bit more modest than the Hoover Dam Wadi al Mujib drains into the Dear Sea. This dam, which helps supply Amman with drinking water, is one of the reasons the Dead Sea is going down in a hurry (more on that later).

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Next stop on the road to Petra was Karak Castle (actually, a small diversion off the highway). Unlike Ajloun Castle, seen earlier, this was a stronghold of the 'Crusaders' and was built by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1142. Saladin's forces took the castle after a siege in 1183 and the mamluks took it in 1263. It was largely destroyed in an earthquake in 1293.

Again, a plaque explains it better. The castle has its flanks mostly armoured and protected by steep stone lined banks, making storming at the sides virtually impossible.




Of course the Castle has commanding views of most of the surrounding countryside, including east to the southern Dead Sea region. The upper courts are shown here, but most of the action is underground.




What made this Castle great to visit were the numerous tunnels and rooms surviving deep in the bowels of the structure. many were unlit, and only the brave went forth (aided by camera flash!)




There is a kitchen and whilst not quite 'could have been deserted yesterday', there are lots of artifacts. including 2 stones for grinding, storage bins for grain and large ovens:




More creepy tunnels and a view to the steep, stone lined side of the castle, known as the 'Glacis'. From the top of the tower shown on the right (now missing) we are told one of the Castle's leaders had the habit of throwing his captives out a window.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

The magical mystery tour carried on south, further down the Kings Highway. We were aiming for Petra (or the town Wadi Musa) about 3pm but a couple of unscheduled stops added about an hour to the timing, but they were well worth it.

Soon after Karak we came across another large valley crossing the mountain spine - this time Wadi al Hasa. Not as spectacular as Wadi al Mujib, but a very large feature none-the-less. A little further on, the geologist in me was delighted to see a nice little (extinct) volcano popping through the otherwise boring limestone rocks. I remembered vaguely some uni course tectonics, where the Dead Sea and rivers north and south marked a rift, associated with the east African Rift Valley. Yes, volcanos should mark such a rift environment. We had Wi-Fi in the car so I did a bit of Googling and found that the 'Dead Sea Rift' is in fact a transform fault, active for about 12 million years and responsible for many of the earthquakes responsible for the destruction of many of the castles etc we had been seeing.




Then we stopped to another vista that was completely unexpected. South of Al Talifa is the town of Dana and the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Dana is a 15th century town on cliffs above the main valley which is a nature reserve hosting a wide range of flora and fauna. We just got to see it from the highway, but wished we could have stayed a night at Dana and ventured into the valley.




Then a slight diversion we asked for - the Shobak Castle. Another Crusader Castle built by Baldwin I, this time in 1115 and another win for Saladin's forces in 1189. We only had time to stop and take photographs, but the castle looks like it will be great to visit once restoration is more complete.




Then we gratefully reached the Marriott at Wadi Musa, the service town for Petra. The Marriott is in a fantastic location, a bit out of town, on a hillside directly over-looking the mountains that define ancient Petra. A quick shower and it was out on the terrace for drinks, with cameras at the ready to capture the sunset.

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

So today we finally get to see Petra. The day dawned clear and bright (as every day had so far, and would continue to do so until we left!). We enjoyed seeing the colours change on the mountains between us and Petra proper over breakfast.




Then it was a 10 minute mini bus trip to the site entrance and ticket office. Fee is 50JD - about A$75 - but totally worth it. This place must contribute a significant chunk of Jordan's GDP. We could have had a guide for a few hours for about A$40 if I recall correctly, but we decided that we didn't want to be tied down to the detail and time that a guide would probably bring, so armed with guidebook, we set forth.

There is first an 800m walk along 'Bab el Siq', an area around Wadi Musa (or 'Valley of Moses') beneath the town of Wadi Musa. Bedouin believe that a spring feeding this creek is where Moses struck a rock in Biblical times. A horse ride from the entrance gate to the end of Bab el-Siq is included in the ticket price, but we declined this too. The path is gravel, but the occasional larger boulder lurks in the dust, so one has to watch one's step.

As an appetizer to Petra, Bab el-Siq first serves up the Djinn Blocks, carved cubes of rock, carved by the Nabataeans in the 1st Century AD, probably marking a tomb. Shortly afterwards is the Obelisk Tomb and below it, the Bab el-Siq Triclinium, also 1st Century AD. The obelisk tomb has 4 pyramidal columns and an eroded male figure carved between them, and inside, 5 niches carved in it (not inspected!). Below the obelisks is the 'Triclininium', or funery dining hall, where banquets were held in honour of the dead or Gods.




At the end of the Bab el-Siq, and the start of the Siq proper is a place to demount the horses (or mount on the way back), grab a souvenir, convene a tour group or catch your breath before descending into the Siq proper.




The Siq is a 1.2km long winding canyon between 2 and 5m wide and 200m high. It really is an impressive structure and would be worth a visit anywhere just for its own sake. Its partly concrete floored and partly cobbled (possibly original cobbles) and the latter are murderously uneven and dangerous for the unwary. A slip while looking about could easily result in a twisted ankle.

Another hazard are the stupid horse drawn tourist carts that charge through the canyon. The young local drivers delight in going full tilt past pedestrians, who are plastering themselves to the side wall, while their passengers hang on for grim death. In the right hand picture, note the water channel carved on the left. This brought water down the Siq from the creek above to service the ancient town of Petra. One the right is a modern day equivalent.




There are a number of tombs and carvings along the Siq, but it is hard to stop and study these, when the prize of Petra itself draws closer. Then, before you know it, beyond the last crack of the Siq, you get a glimpse of the fabled Treasury building, carved out of the rose coloured sandstone. We had arrived!

 

[cmon0005]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Fantastic pictures RooFlyer, makes me want to visit Petra now!

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

The first major structure (carving would be a more accurate description) you see when exiting the 1.2km long canyon of the Siq is the fantastic 'Treasury' building (actually a mausoleum), built about the time of Christ. Its a wondrous sight, although the atmosphere is a bit dampened by the souvenir sellers, kids selling postcards, camel ride hawkers (and their camels) etc. This elaborate structure is carved out of the sandstone - and its more impressive when you realize that there is a another layer of tombs from the first century BC below this.

Like Ayres Rock, it changes colour depending on the light and time of day.




Some detail of the work:








A nearby plaque gives some interesting additional details

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

The advice to anyone visiting Petra is to 'go high' , however most people either for reasons of time, health or other just visit the 'basin' which is chock full of amazing buildings and sights. However we determined to see The Place of High Sacrifice first and the Monastery later in the day.

First one passes the Street of Facades in the Outer Siq - a number of tombs. The one reaches the Basin proper and the 'Why Not Shop' shop :shock: Then its a long stair climb to the plateau above. Just as well we started while it was cool!





The first thing seen (from below) at the Place of High Sacrifice are two pillars. These are all the more remarkable when you realize that they haven't been erected, but rather the surrounding rock has been carved down!

Around the top there are decrepit buildings, altars etc.




A bit further on you get fantastic views down into the main Petra area (Basin), across to the Monastary etc.





We decided to take the 'back' track down to the Basin, rather than go back the way we came. This was a really good decision - we would see lots of 'hidden' tombs, temples and carvings which most visitors - even those who get to the Place of High Sacrifice - don't get to see. (The carvings on the right are in the main Petra Basin; to the right was an early glimpse of features on the back 'processional route'.




We came across this fine carved lion (dated 200BC - 200AD) - hard to see, but its a fountain - water came from its mouth. Stairs are either constructed or, commonly carved out of the rock.

 

[robd]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Almost skipped over this TR. Really amazing. WOW!

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Climbing down more from the Place of High Sacrifice, we came across the Garden Hall (built between 200BC and 200 AD) which might have been a temple.




and then the Soldier tomb (same period) named for the figures carved above the entrance. The artist's reconstruction shows how magnificent the place would have been originally. Inside, there are several bare chambers and some pieces of column.






Directly opposite the Soldier Tomb is an unprepossessing chamber entrance, but there's something unique inside. All other Petra excavations (apparently) have simple carved chambers (plain sides, albeit they would have been plastered). The 'coloured triclininium' was a decorated funerary banqueting hall, and has columns and recesses carved into the walls for decoration. The colours of the rock strata are magnificent and unfortunately my camera and flash hasn't done them true justice.



And then onto the 'Renaissance tomb' which contains a number of tombs carved into the floor. This was excavated only in 2003 but of course the tombs had been long looted by that time.

 

[trentusjuventus]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Fantastic TR, thanks for taking the time. Reminds me of my own trip to Jordan a few years back, such an eye-opening experience (in a good way).

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Coming out of the wadi valley from the Place of High Sacrifice, we took a wrong turn at an unsigned track junction and ended up taking the VERY long way back to the main part of the city.

No worries, there we saw the 300 seat Theatre, which in spite of appearances, is not Roman, but Nabatean and, like most Nabatean things in Petra, is carved out of the rock, rather than constructed.




More of the Theatre. Opposite, are the e 'Royal Tombs', the most striking being the 'Urn Tomb' named for the urn high up on the face. inside are several rooms and pillars on the entry platform.







Next to the Urn Tomb is the Corinthian Tomb, with its elaborate façade.



From there we looked to other tombs and we went looking for Sextius Florientus' tomb. This may have been it, but then we saw some steps and thought they were worth investigating. Wonder what's up there?

 

[RooFlyer]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

What's up there? More steps. And more bloody steps. We had no idea where we were headed to (other than up) but the stairway was solid and seemingly important and by the time we were tired out we had gone so far that we couldn't not get to wherever it was taking us. So on we went ...




Eventually we reached the top of the plateau and were rewarded with magnificent views across Petra (Theatre in the centre, 'Roman end' of Petra to the right) and over the the range of mountains which hosts the Monastery (the one directly up from the light coloured wadi on the right). We realized that we were actually a fair bit higher than the Monastery :shock:




We knew by this time you can usually find a local with a nice cup of tea in places like this but to our chagrin, this one wasn't serving today




The trail went on, but as we didn't know how far or what to (there didn't appear to be anything flagged in our guide book), we headed back. We later figured out that this was the trail which eventually would take us to a view over the top of the Treasury. Would have been worth seeing, but a fair bit further to walk, so we probably made the right decision.

Down the stairs which we could appreciate again, being mostly cut into the rock. When we reached the bottom, it was time for a late lunch which we had in one of the more appealing 'rustic' shops in the Basin. The sun had gone round some more, so the Roya Tombs were almost fully lit.




Suitably revived, we headed down the trail towards the Roman part of Petra. The first thing you come across is the 'Nymphaeum', or public fountain. There's not much left, but a 450 year old pistachio tree adds to the scene.

 

[lmere12]

Re: Dubai & Jordan by EK/QF First; from Moses to Lawrence of Arabia and lots in betwe

Still totally enjoying your TR, will re read it again. Fantastic job of it (TR) and what a great interesting visit. Might have to add this to the bucket