Touring
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The yellow GPS tracks show were we went in By car and bus we drove 1540 mi; by bike we rode 118 mi. We started by visiting Umm Qais, Ajloun, and Jerash. Then
we saw the desert castles Harrana, Azrac, and Amra and after that Umm Rasas. We then went on the 8 -day biking tour. After biking, we went with the same guide as before the
biking trip and went back to Aqaba, saw Dana and Karak on the way and finally
finished with seeing |
Looking north from Umm Qais, you can see the |
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Umm Qais then called According to Mathew 8:24-34, it was here where Jesus cast
out the devil from two demoniacs into a herd of pigs. |
The city reached its peak in the 2nd century CE
and was compared with Athens, which testifies to the city’s status as a
creative center of Hellenism in the ancient Near East. |
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Ajloun castle looks like a Crusader castle but is a 12th
century example of Islamic architecture. It was built by a nephew of Saladin
as a defense against the crusaders. Two years after it was finished the Crusaders were
finished too (until the Crusades started again a few years ago). |
From the castle one has a good (telephoto) view of a
present-day castle: one of the palaces of King Abdullah of |
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Inside Ajloun castle. |
On our way to Jerash we stopped and took another picture
of Ajloun castle. During the Mamluk rule, the castle was one of a network
of beacons and pigeon posts that allowed messages to be transmitted from |
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Jerash (called Gerasa by the Romans) is one of the
largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture outside of |
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The hippodrome could seat 15000 spectators to watch
chariot races and other spectator sports. Note all of the columns in the background… |
This picture gives an impression of the extent of the
site. In the foreground is an oval plaza surrounded by 1st century
CE Ionic columns. |
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This theater was originally built in 165 CE and served
for city council meetings as well as theatrical performances. It was enlarged
in 235 CE to its present size. |
Artemis was the patron goddess of Gerasa and this was her
temple. Eleven of the twelve Corinthian front columns are still standing. |
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Still paved with the original stones – the ruts worn by
the chariot wheels visible – this 2400’ long street was the focal point of
Gerasa. |
The prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali was deposed as
caliph by the Umayyad Mu’awiya in 661 CE (beginning of schism in Islam with
the Shi’ite movement, from Shi’atu Ali, the ‘party of Ali’). The Umayyads
(661-750 CE) were the first Islamic dynasty. They presided over a tremendous
expansion of the Muslim world: to |
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Rock in |
The real attraction of Amra is extensive wall paintings
which represent the formative stage in the development of Islamic art.
Figures and even erotic scenes are displayed, showing late Hellenistic and
Persian influences. The painting on the right reminded us of early paintings
by Picasso. These are dancing girls. |
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Outside Amra, Yvonne and our guide Khaled enjoy some hot
mint tea in a Bedouin tent. |
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Another ‘desert castle’ is Azrac constructed from basalt
stones. Note the massive basalt door (behind Yvonne) which still swings on
its own hinges. Azrac was also the headquarters of |
Ten miles west of |
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There are beautiful lion carvings on Qasr al-Abd. |
Umm Rasas is a site with a long history. It’s mentioned
in the Bible and was an important frontier station in classical times. Two
churches were built in the 6th century CE with magnificent mosaic
floors. There is much to be excavated here. |
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On the left is a mosaic of the HAГІА
ПωΛІС ( |
With one exception: this figure depicting a season was hidden
under the pulpit and, therefore, not destroyed. Note the destruction of the
animal image top left. |
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