Way back in the first century when
Rome ruled this region, Amman was known as Philadelphia and was one of the ten
cities of the Decapolis that had economic ties to one another. This past weekend I visited Jerash,
back then Gerasa, also part of the Decapolis. The ruins were amazingly well preserved and reconstructed,
mostly first through 8th century ruins. It took two hours to go through amphitheaters, colonnades,
temples, churches and gates. The
first thing that greets any visitor is an impressive arch built in honor of
Emperor Hadrian’s visit (AD 129/30), but I think my favorite site was the floor
of a Byzantine church because of its intricate mosaics.
After climbing and ambling there,
my local friend and I went to Ajloun, a city nestled nearby in a very verdant
region. There are a couple nature
reserves, but we visited the medieval castle on top of the mountain. I have to say that my impression of
Jordan was significantly improved by the views from the castle! I think I had been missing the color
green! In the photo below, a
family is having their picture taken at the castle. The man is wearing the typical headdress of Jordan and the
ladies are also typically dressed.
Here the way you dress immediately says a lot about you. It tells others your religion and the
degree to which you adhere to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment