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April 13

Amman, the capital of Jordan. Today I found out that Philadelphia was the name of the city in the 3rd century named after the Ptolemaic ruler Philadephus. With many references to it in the Bible, Amman was known as capital of the Ammonites. As the Great Arab Revolt progressed (watch Lawrence of Arabia) and the State of Transjordan was established, King Abdullah I, founder of the Hasemite Kingdom of Jordan, maded Amman his capital in 1921.

April 14

Bethany beyond the Jordan the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan river. Nothing much to see except excavated remains of the baptism site and newly built modern Orthodox church. The place is promoted more of its significance to its reference in the New Testament where John speaking to the Pharisees, said "but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to unite".

Dead Sea. It is the lowest body of water on earth, the lowest point on earth (400 meters below sea level), and the world's richest source of natural salts. It is really true that you can float effortlessly on your back. The unusually salty (four times saltier than normal sea water) and high salinity causes the unusual buoyancy.

April 15

Today we took the ancient route called King's Highway to our way to Mount Nebo - believed to be the place where Moses died. He climbed on top of this mountain and there the Lord showed him the whole land.... Then the Lord said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, "I will give it to your descendents." I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it." Byzantine mosaics from the early church have recently been uncovered, and a simple modern church has been built over them.

Madaba - "the City of the Mosaics" for the many mosaics that have been uncovered throughout the city. The most famous of these mosaics is the Madaba Map, a 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land. The Madaba Mosaic Map is an index map of the region, dating from the sixth century CE, preserved in the floor of the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George.

Kerak Castle - is one of the best preserved Crusader castle. It was built in 1142 by the Frankish lord of Oultrejourdain, Payen le Bouteiller, to whom the territory had been ceded by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem in 1126. The castle was constructed over foundations of earlier citadels dating back to Nabatean times. The great castle became the pearl in the chain of fortifications that ran between Jerusalem and Aqaba. Each fortress was built a day's journey from its nearest neighbor, and each night a beacon was lit at every castle to signal to Jerusalem that it was safe. Under Reynald de Chatillon, Kerak resisted assaults by Saladin's troops but it finally fell after a siege in 1188.

Shobak Castle - originally called Krak de Montreal o Mons Regalis, and was the first outpost (1115) built beyond the Jordan River by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem to guard the road from Egypt to Damascus and was the first of a string of similar strongholds in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem. It too fell to Saladin's troops in 1189..

April 16

Petra is a spectacular ancient Nabataean city in western Jordan. With massive façades that have been carved entirely out of the existing red sandstone, Petra's magnificent temples and tombs are like no other religious buildings in the world. It is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and that is wholly the reason of my visit to Jordan.

It is a vast, uniqued city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabateans who settle here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India, and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

The city built by the Nabataeans is packed with tombs, temples, sanctuaries and altars to their gods. Many influence are apparent in the architecture of Petra; Assyrian, Egyptian, Hellenistic and Roman. Most famous monument is the al-Khazneh (Treasury). It was carved in the 1st century BC as a tomb of an important Nabataean king. The al-Deir (Monastery) which is reachable after 800 stairs flight is Petra's second famed attraction. It is either a tomb or a temple or both.

Wadi Rum is the largest desert in Jordan. We spent the night at a Bedouin tent to experience and follow the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia" - just for one night :)

 

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