Category Archives: Middle East

Jordan, Middle East

Petra: The Rose-Red City

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UNESCO Designation
UNESCO Designation

It wouldn’t be right to travel to Jordan and not visit Petra.  Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, and is probably one of the most impressive archeological sites I’ve ever seen.  The photos included could never capture the magic of the Rose-Red City.

Brief History

Around 300-100BC, Petra was a Nabataean trade route for spices, textiles, and incense.  Merchants had established a rich and powerful centre of commerce.  Eventually, due to a number of reasons–earthquakes, annexation by Rome,  trade decline etc., the area was abandoned around 1300AD.    It was “rediscovered” in 1812 by a Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Petra Map
from http://www.petramoon.com/petraindepth.htm
The Siq
The Siq, Petra
The Siq, Petra

Once through the ticket gate at the Visitor Centre, there is a bit of a walk (maybe 700m?) on the Bab el-Siq to reach the actual start of  The Siq.  The further 2km walk along  this cavernous pathway is an unbelievably beautiful prelude to the Treasury.  Visitors have the option of riding a donkey, or taking a horse-drawn buggy, but that would steal so much from the experience.  The Siq is full of details.

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First Glimpse

And, all of a sudden, after gawking at the walls of The Siq, there is an end, and this is what is peaking through the narrow crack.  Absolutely stunning!

The Treasury, Petra
First glimpse of The Treasury, Petra
The Treasury – Al-Khazneh

Petra’s crown jewel is definitely The Treasury.  If you’re looking for an in-depth dissection of all of the Hellenistic features on the façade of this building, you’ve come to the wrong place!  (Although it is interesting info, information, you can find it on google yourself.)

The Treasury Al-Khazneh, Petra
The Treasury Al-Khazneh, Petra

What you see is not even the full height of the structure.  There is a lower level below a grate to the left of the seated people.  The exterior is so intricately detailed and ornamented, that it is still impressive after thousands of years of erosion.  FYI: The urn at the top is riddled with bullet holes thanks to Bedouin treasure seekers who believed the it was full of the Pharaoh’s gold.

The grate in front of the Treasury, Petra
Below the grate in front of the Treasury, Petra
Bullet holes in the urn of the Treasury, Petra
Bullet holes in the urn of the Treasury, Petra
The Monastery – Ad Deir

Our ultimate goal for Day 1 was to make it to The Monastery – Ad Deir.  If you take a look at the map, that is a lot of ground to cover, with plenty of structures to explore along the route.  Here are some of the stops we took along the way:

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Walking the path to The Monastery is supposed to take about an hour.  THAT IS A LIE!  It takes way longer.  It is a pretty fantastical pathway with alternating sand and stone portions, along with more than 800 rock-cut steps.  Depending on the time of day, the sun may or may not be roasting portions of the pathway.   At points it is really narrow which makes for dodging the donkeys a little harrowing.   The walk was a little more than I had bargained for in the heat, but it was worth the effort.

The Monastery, Petra
The Monastery, Petra
The High Place of Sacrifice

On our second day in Petra, we noticed even more details while walking through the Siq.  It really is amazing.  Beyond looking at some of the ruins we had already seen, Jon wanted to walk to the High Place of Sacrifice.   The High Place is at the top of Jebel Attuf mountain, which is about a 1000m climb.  Our guide book said, “The ascent, while gradual, requires stamina and a good head for heights, and is best attempted in the early morning.” Thanks for the tip Eyewitness.

If I had known what was at the top, for the amount of time/effort spent getting to the High Place of Sacrifice, I would NOT have bothered, and would have spent my time better exploring elsewhere in Petra.

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Being able to experience Petra was definitely a highlight of our Middle East adventures.  This is an ancient city like no other, and easily deserves the designation of one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.   Cross one more off the list…

Be sure to stay tuned for our Wadi Rum experience of camping with the Bedouin!
~j

Jordan, Middle East

Madaba: The City of Mosaics

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As I mentioned before, we arrived very late to Madaba.  We were awake to hear the first call to prayer (around 5:00am) partially due to jet lag.  Listening to the tune and thinking of all those it means something to is a rather reflective way to start the day.  I love it!  Sing the adhan from the minaret Muezzin.  It’s all good! (Note to self: must find out what they’re saying because it is different wording at different times of the day!)

We stayed at St. George’s Church, the Church of the Map.  This is an unassuming Greek Orthodox Church from the outside, but actually houses the oldest existing map of the Holy Land.  The map features significant biblical places, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem amongst others.  It basically covers the area from Egypt to Lebanon.

Exterior of St George’s Church, Madaba Jordan
Hanging on the wall of the lobby
Iconography inside the Church of the Map, St George’s Church, Madaba Jordan
The Mosaic Map, Church of the Map, Madaba Jordan
The Mosaic Map, Church of the Map, Madaba Jordan

The mosaicist conceived and carried out his masterwork with great topographical skill and biblical knowledge. The Madaba Mosaic map is deemed by some scholars to be the best topographic representation ever done before modern cartography.

from: http://www.christusrex.org

For our first day in Jordan, we explored the city, enjoyed some phenomenal food at Haret Jdoudna, and just took in the sights.  Madaba has been called The City of Mosaics.  There is no shortage of shops selling all sorts of hand-made tile pieces.  I was particularly enamoured with the painted Ostrich Eggs, but didn’t know if they’d make it through the rest of the trip in one piece, or be a problem with customs on return.  Some were hideous, some were fantastic.  We ended up buying two small pieces of mosaic in Madaba.  While speaking to the shop keeper, we learned that he had a brother in Canada, living not far from us.  Small world!  Everyone we spoke with was extraordinarily friendly and welcoming.  Jordanians have to be some of the most hospitable people on the planet.

Salad at Haret Jdoudna, Madaba Jordan
Delicious Hummous at Haret Jdoudna, Madaba Jordan
Fresh Made Pita at Haret Jdoudna, Madaba Jordan

To make our way from Madaba to Wadi Musa, we ended up hiring a driver to take us and another couple along the King’s Highway to do some sight-seeing along the way.  We drove through the Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve for the most part as it covers a lot of the area.  Eventually we stopped at the ruins of al-Kerak castle.  This Crusader castle is one of the largest in the area.  It is preserved really well, and we were able to wander around the site for quite a while.

Bedouin camp on the way from Madaba to Wadi Musa
Al Kerak Castle Crusader Castle, Jordan
Al Kerak Castle Crusader Castle, Jordan
Al Kerak Castle Crusader Castle, Jordan
Fields on the way from Madaba to Wadi Musa
View of Wadi Mujib on the way to Wadi Musa

On our arrival to Wadi Musa, we decided that we wanted to experience Petra at Night prior to our first daylight visit. Word on the street that if you see Petra before the night-time visit it isn’t as impressive.  I’m glad we decided to do the Petra at Night first, as it would be true.

Stay tuned for more from Petra,
~j

Israel, Middle East

Shalom Israel!

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We’re winding down to the last bit of the trip now.  Tomorrow is our last day with the rental car, so we have to drive from Akko to Tel Aviv to drop off the car, and then take transport to Jerusalem.  Israel has been really interesting so far.  The scenery is extremely varied–there are areas of scorched earth desert, so crumbly, dry and hot, that it looks like a foreign planet; then there are areas that look like familiar like farmland of the BC interior, or orchards and lakeside areas of the Okanagan.  We saw this all within the span of a few hours driving.

Yesterday we were in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee; we drove up Mount Tabor, and visited the first of many religious buildings we will be seeing.  There were over 100 Ethiopian pilgrims at the Church of Transfiguration.  We continued onto Nazareth, and saw the Basilica of the Annunciation.  The art work in and around the basilica was fantastic.  There were representations/interpretations of the Madonna with Child from dozens of countries.

Last night we visited the mosque here in Akko, and this morning we were at the Baha’i World Centre in Haifa, and this afternoon the Stella Maris monastry.  If only we were able to fit in a synagogue too! (The hotel we are staying in has one on site, so that will have to do!)

 

Jordan, Middle East

Welcome to Jordan

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(I wrote this a few days ago, but for some reason it didn’t go through.)

We’re still seeing the sites in Jordan. On the first night at Wadi Musa, we were able to visit Petra at night. The Siq, the walkway from the entrance to The Treasury, was all lit with candles. This walkway was lovely at night, and absolutely stunning during the day. After visiting Petra for the past 3 days, I shall retire Paris as the City of Stairs, and easily give that title to Petra.

There were so many beautiful things to see; one of them requires over 800 stone stairs (of various heights and widths) mixed with sand, rock and Roman stone pathways. And, almost all of the route is on blazing hot sun for the greater portion of the day. It was worth the brutal trek to see the Monastery though. Today we did much of the same, and as a consequence, my legs feel like Jell-o.

Luckily tonight, our taxi driver who keeps finding us picked us up and saved our legs from the walk back to the hotel. And when we started walking back up after heading out for dinner, one of the hotel employees stopped and let us hop in the bed of his Nissan. (Yes, I’m super grateful that neither of us pulled a Rick Hansen!) Jordanian people have to be some of the nicest on earth. Seriously, they’re awesome!

Tomorrow we are off to Wadi Rum to camp out with the Bedouin. I really hope the camel I have to ride isn’t a biter!
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Jordan, Middle East

Happy Easter

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After 30+ hours of travel we finally arrived in Madaba, Jordan. When we arrived at 2am to the hostel/church we are staying at was crazy busy with beautiful lights and singing. At 2am! This was the service for Orthodox Easter. Happy Orthodox Easter everyone!

Madaba is interesting. It is the stuff of movies. Dusty, loads of traffic-some vehicles blasting Arabic techno music and most, if not all, blasting their horn, call to prayer 5 times a day, and rubble piled in vacant lots. There are men and women in traditional dress, and tons in everyday “regular” jeans and t-shirt wear, or business suits. There are men sitting around smoking hookah pipes and drinking tea out of fancy silver pots. Everyone has been really welcoming. Little kids on the street say hello and then giggle as they walk away with their parents.

We went to a restaurant for some Jordanian food for lunch. First, we see Ibrahim, a person who was featured on one of our favorite episodes of Departures. Of all the people, in all the world, what are the chances?!? He was super nice to us, and asked us to call when we make it to Petra. The sweet glorious lunch was some of the tastiest food ever. I have never had such delicious hummous in my life. The choices were “Mezze” which basically consist of small dishes (hot or cold) designed for sharing. The Mezze menu is like appies on steroids. Everything looked good except for the grilled lamb brain. We didn’t try that one.

Jet lag is kind of kicking my ass this morning. Waking up at 4am does have its advantages though. I was up before the call to prayer was given. And, we will have plenty of time to get ready for our 8am shuttle to Wadi Musa. Let’s hope the Dutch couple we are sharing with is nice!
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