Saturday, November 10, 2012

Jordan day 18 Friday, 10 November Amman to Petra

We left Amman in the early morning to travel to 'Bethany beyond The Jordan' This is the area where historically Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. The Baptism Site (Arabic: el-Maghtas) on the Jordan side of the Jordan River is one of the most important recent discoveries in biblical archaeology. Excavations only began here in 1996, following Jordan's peace treaty with Israel in 1994, but have already uncovered more than 20 churches, caves and baptismal pools dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods. Although the identification is not absolutely certain, archaeology has shown that the area known as Wadi Kharrar has long been believed to be the biblical Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan, where John the Baptist lived and Jesus was baptized. This area is also associated with the ascension of the Prophet Elijah into heaven, which is commemorated at a hill called Tell Mar Elias. The River Jordan The baptismal site on the Jordanian side of the River Jordan itself is little more than a muddy stream, since much of the water is removed upstream for use by Israel and Jordan. The opposite bank is Israel, where a small 1950s chapel, "baptism site" can be seen. A modern Orthodox church dedicated to St. John the Baptist has been built next to the Jordan River as part of the development of the site. The small church has a golden dome and is painted with Byzantine-style murals inside. We then travelled to Mount Nebo Mount Nebo Mount Nebo (Arabic: جبل نيبو‎, Jabal Nibu. Hebrew: הַר נְבוֹ‎, Har Nevo, ) is an elevated ridge that is approximately 817 meters (2680 feet) above sea level, in Jordan. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy Land and, to the north, a more limited one of the valley of the River Jordan. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day. Religious significance Judaism and Christianity According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites. 'And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho'. —Deuteronomy 34:1 According to Jewish and Christian tradition and the Bible, Moses was buried on this mountain by God Himself, and his final resting place is unknown. Scholars continue to dispute whether the mountain currently known as Nebo is the same as the mountain referred to in the Torah. According to the 2 Maccabees 2:4–7, the Prophet Jeremiah hid the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant in a cave here. Visiting these sites was very moving and we then travelled to Madaba for a wonderful lunch of typical Jordanian food and then visited the Orthodox Church of George to see The Mosaic Map of the Holy Land comprising two million pieces of coloured stone. It was the Christian vision of continuity and completeness that inspired the mosaic artists and crafts workers of the area to make the Mosaic Map of Madaba which considered a guideline for proving geographic regions and borders. This famous mosaic designed in around 570 AD to decorate the floor of a Byzantine church in Mabada. It is more than a geographic text of that era, showing the entire region from Jordan and Palestine in the north, to Egypt in the south, and depicting in picture form: plains, hills, valleys, villages, and many towns and cities, complete with walls and pitched re-roofed houses, while in the Nile huge fish swim. It includes a charming plan of the holy city of Jerusalem placed at the center of the redeemed acumen: on the left is the north gate from which two colonnaded streets run south. On the straight street through the heart of the city stands the domed Holy Sepulchre. Clearly inscribed above the north and east gates is the legend "Holy City of Jerusalem". Today this splendid map housed in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, which built in 1896 over the remains of the original Byzantine Church. Only part of the map preserved. It originally measured a staggering 25 x 5 meters and made of more than 2 million pieces of coloured stone tesserae. We also visited the Jewel Mosaic Workshop which provides training and employment for disabled people to enable them to learn the techniques needed to produce the famous Jordanian mosaics. We marvelled at the wonderful items produced but were distressed to see one of the employees being hit by a supervisor. We then continued to our final destination for the day, Petra. We arrived at the Movenpick Resort which is located right at the top of the Petra site and settled into our luxurious accommodation and explored the hotel and shopping arcade attached to it.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Jordan day 17 Thursday, 9 November Jerash and Amman

This morning we travelled to the ancient city of Jerash, acknowledged as one of the best preserved provincial cities of the Roman Empire. Jerash, a city in northern Jordan is famous for its Roman ruins. The archaeological site is popular for tourists, second only to Petra The ancient city of Jerash, boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. Jerash lies on a plain surrounded by hilly wooded areas and fertile basins. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities of the Decapolis League. The city's golden age came under Roman rule, during which time it was known as Gerasa, and the site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates. Beneath its external Graeco-Roman veneer, Jerash also preserves a subtle blend of east and west. Its architecture, religion and languages reflect a process by which to powerful cultures meshed and coexisted – the Graecp-Roman world of the Mediterranean basin and the traditions of the Arab Orient. The modern city of Jerash can be found to the east of the ruins. While the old and new share a city wall, careful preservation and planning has seen the city itself develop well away from the ruins so there is no encroachment on the sites of old. Located some 48 km (30 miles) north of the capital Amman, Jerash is known for the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa, also referred to as Antioch on the Golden River. It is sometimes misleadingly referred to as the "Pompeii of the Middle East", referring to its size, extent of excavation and level of preservation (though Jerash was never buried by a volcano). Jerash became an urban center during the 3rd century BC and a member of the federation of Greek cities known as the Decapolis ("ten cities" in Greek). Jerash prospered during the 1st century BC as a result of its position on the incense and spice trade route from the Arabian Peninsula to Syria and the Mediterranean region. Jerash was a favorite city of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, and reached its zenith in AD 130, flourishing economically and socially. The city began to decline in the 3rd century, later becoming a Christian city under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. The Muslims took over in AD 635, but the final blow to the city was dealt by Baldwin II of Jerusalem in AD 1112 during the Crusades. Modern Jerash sprawls to the east of the ruins, sharing the same city wall but little else. Thankfully, the ruins have been carefully preserved and spared from encroachment. Some of the main attractions we saw were:  Hadrian's Arch - built in 129 AD to mark Emperor Hadrian's visit, this was intended to become the new southern gate of the city.  Hippodrome - a partially restored Roman-era stadium. At only 245m long and 52m wide, it was the smallest hippodrome in the Roman Empire.  Forum (Oval Plaza) - an unusual wide, asymmetrical plaza at the beginning of the Cardo (or Colonnaded Street), built in the 1st century AD. The Oval Plaza is 80 m by 90 m (262 ft by 295 ft) and is enclosed by 160 Ionic columns.  The Cardo - a 600 m (660 yards) colonnaded street that runs the length of the city. It was once lined with the city's major buildings, shops and residences. A complex drainage system lies below the stone paving. Look for chariot tracks in the stone.  Agora - the city's main food market, which has a central fountain.  Nymphaeum - an ornate public fountain that was decorated with lions heads and dedicated to the nymphs.  Temple of Artemis - impressive temple ruins dedicated to the patron goddess of the city.  South Theatre - an amphitheatre that seats up to 3000. It is occasionally used today for concerts and musical productions. Daily features include bag pipers in traditional Jordanian military dress.  Jerash Archaeological Museum - features a collection of artifacts found during excavation, including coins, statuary and sarcophagi. Returning to our hotel we further explored Amman and drove through the Old Town seeing everyday life in Jordan's capital city. Azziz treated us to traditional Jordanian cake from a well known bakery.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Egypt to Jordan day 16 Wednesday, 8 November

We left for Cairo airport mid morning to catch a flight on Royal Jordanian Airlines bound for Amman. After an uneventful flight and clearing customs (quite a lot of red tape), we were driven through the city to our hotel Le Meridian. We met our guide, Aziz, (his second name as his name was Muhammad) and were taken on an orientation tour of Amman which appeared clean and well structured after chaotic Cairo. Many of the buildings are faced with local white stone and local building requirements appear to be strictly upheld giving a uniform look to the city. We then travelled to the unit of a lovely middle-aged Jordanian couple and were received cordially, though we were careful to follow cultural traditions. We enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal of a traditional chicken dish with the father of the house serving. After the meal we enjoyed asking questions and talking about everyday life in Jordan.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Egypt day 15 Tuesday 8 November Cairo and Saqqara

I had looked forward to today's excursion since I first heard of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo as a child. Along with visiting the pyramids at Giza, it had a lifelong ambition to visit this museum and view the treasures of antiquity. Cairo Museum of Egyptian Antiquities The Antiquities Museum is situated in Mariette Pasha Street on the north side of Tahrir Square (next to the Nile Hilton Hotel). There was apparently some damage sustained during the revolution when riots erupted; however, no damage was apparent when we visited. It would take at least a week to see all of the museum’s contents, but a brief visit gave a glimpse into the world’s greatest repository of more than 120,000 ancient Egyptian artefacts. It has actually been calculated that if you spend one minute at each exhibit it will take nine months to see the whole collection! The collection of Egyptian antiquities began in the 1830s in an attempt to stem the tide of Egypt’s treasures being stolen or otherwise removed from the country. The present collection was begun by Auguste Mariette who had originally been sent to Egypt by the College de France to collect Coptic Papyri. Mariette supervised many important excavations during his thirty years in Egypt, becoming a dominant force in the development of Egyptological progress and as a guardian of the monuments. He was appointed the first Director of Ancient Monuments in Egypt and head of a new national museum at Bulaq in 1863 – the first national antiquities museum in the Middle East. The collection was then briefly transferred to an annex of Ismail Pasha’s palace at Giza when the Bulaq museum was flooded and later stored in a building in the Citadel. The present museum The collection of Egyptian antiquities began in the 1830s in an attempt to stem the tide of Egypt’s treasures being stolen or otherwise removed from the country. The present collection was begun by Auguste Mariette who had originally been sent to Egypt by the College de France to collect Coptic Papyri. Mariette supervised many important excavations during his thirty years in Egypt, becoming a dominant force in the development of Egyptological progress and as a guardian of the monuments. He was appointed the first Director of Ancient Monuments in Egypt and head of a new national museum at Bulaq in 1863 – the first national antiquities museum in the Middle East. The collection was then briefly transferred to an annex of Ismail Pasha’s palace at Giza when the Bulaq museum was flooded and later stored in a building in the Citadel. The present museum was officially inaugurated on November 15, 1902, in a building designed by French architect Marcel Dourgnon.was officially inaugurated on November 15, 1902, in a building designed by French architect Marcel Dourgnon. The most popular by far of the museum’s treasures are housed in the Tutankamun gallery on the upper floor. These remarkable artefacts from the boy-king’s tomb, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922, are now housed in a specially lit, temperature-controlled gallery which has restricted entry. There are 3000 pieces, including the famous gold funerary mask and coffin, the shrines and tomb furniture which are much more impressive than they look in photographs, almost outshining anything else in the museum. The museum also houses a superb collection of royal and private statuary, reliefs and paintings from all eras as well as many smaller artefacts for daily or funerary use (often the most interesting). There are the complete contents from the Dynasty I tomb of Hemaka, the painstakingly reconstructed bedroom furniture of Queen Hetepheres (Khufu’s mother) from her Giza tomb, beautiful jewellery from the Middle Kingdom as well as contents from many of the Theban New Kingdom tombs and the later Tanite tombs of the Delta. Other famous pieces not to be missed include the Narmer Palette (Dynasty I) the huge diorite statue of Khafre (Dynasty IV), and the exhibits of the Amarna collection which include a colossal statue of the ‘heretic’ king. Last but not least there is the royal mummy room which is second only to the Tutankhamun gallery in popularity. This room was closed for several years but is now open to the public again after restoration but displays only a proportion of the 27 mummies in the collection. The museum also houses a library which specialises in ancient Egyptian civilisation and is considered one of the most important libraries of Egyptology in the world. However, borrowing or reading is only allowed for research students or post-graduates with special permission from the Egyptian High Council of Monuments. The afternoon was to be spent in a free choice activity and many people headed to see Islamic Cairo and visit the bazaar, however we headed to the Sqqara and the step pyramid. To reach Sqqara we travelled through the more rural areas of Cairo gaining an insight into daily life. Saqqara / Sakkara pyramids Saqqara is one of the most extensive archaeological sites in Egypt! It was the cemetery for Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt, yet it is still one of the virgin archaeological sites, despite the fact that so much has already been found there! The site is dominated by the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, which goes back to 2700 BC. It is one of the oldest stone structures in the world! Sakkara is also the site of many tombs from the 1st and 2nd Dynasties. Most are made out of mud bricks, but some tombs are made of limestone, decorated with daily life scenes. Sakkara is divided into: Southern Sakkara, which is dominated by the step Pyramid. -Northern Sakkara, which is dominated by the Pyramid of King Titi, and Mastaba tombs of the old kiThe Step Pyramid of King Zoser, and it surrounding complex: The Pyramid of King Titi The tomb of Mereruka and the tomb of Kagimni The Mastaba tomb of Ti, and the tomb of Ptah-Hotep The step pyramid was built for King Zoser, one of the greatest Kings of the third dynasty (2721-2780 BC). Originally meant as a tomb, this Pyramid was designed and built by his great architect Imhotep. The Pyramid is built as a step Pyramid, 60m high, and consisting of 6 steps; each one built on top of each other and smaller than the one below. Today it is considered as one of the oldest stone structures built by man, and the first time the Ancient Egyptians would attempt to use limestone. Zoser's Pyramid is entirely built of limestone, small bricks of limestone, and not of the best quality, and yet it has remained for more than 4700 years! The Pyramid's four sides are very nearly aligned to the four cardinal points. On the northern side is the original entrance of the Pyramid. On the north-western side a little room is built with a gradient angle, similar to the Pyramid itself. In there was found a beautiful statue of King Zoser made of limestone, it was moved to the Egyptian museum in Cairo and replaced by a replica. The northern entrance is not used anymore, as it is very dangerous! Any people, who are allowed into the Pyramid, use another entrance that was made in the 26th Dynasty, on the southern side of the Pyramid. When you go underneath the Pyramid, there is strange feeling that haunts you, especially when you remember that you are exploring 4,700 years of time. Down there it is a maze of little corridors and tunnels! Found in some of these tunnels more than 30, 000 jars, which were made out of several types of stone, alabaster, marble, diorite and slate. To the southern side of the Pyramid, you will find a burial shaft, almost 28 meter deep, which is believed to be a symbolic tomb for the King, as Kings of the first three Dynasties used to build two tombs for themselves; one a real tomb and the other, a cenotaph. The Pyramid is surrounded by a rectangular enclosure wall that measure 277m by 544m, mostly ruined today, but it was originally 10m high. You can see parts of it today. In the southeastern part of the wall you will find the entrance to the complex, and most of what you are going to see, when you get through this door, is recently restored! You will notice at the end of the little hall that the door leads you to; there is an imitation of two doors, swung open. The entrance leads you to a colonnade that has 40 columns. Each column is attached to the wall behind, the style is called engaged columns, and they were built to ensure that they would be able to endure the heavy weight of the ceiling. In-between the columns a large numbers of little rooms were created; they once contained statues representing King Zoser as ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. The long hypostyle hall leads to an open courtyard, which was used by the King, performing the rituals of the jubilee feast, called the Hep-Sed festival, one of the rituals performed by the Kings of Ancient Egypt to ensure that they are able to rule the country for the next 30 years. To the right of this open courtyard, Imhotep built a Temple known as the Hep-Sed Temple, so that the King would be able to practice the ritual in the after life. Behind the Temple, and further north, you will notice two buildings behind each other; they are called the northern and southern houses, where the King is supposed to host the dignitaries who have come to attend the King's ritual in the Temple, and his recognition as a King of Upper and Lower Egypt. Next to the Step Pyramid complex, on the southern side, you will see the ruined Pyramid of King Unas, which dates back to the end of the 5th Dynasty. It was the first Pyramid that had inscriptions decorating the walls of the burial chamber! There are more than 700 incantations, which are supposed to help the dead King throughout the afterlife, and they are known as the Pyramid texts. Unfortunately the Pyramid has been closed for more than 6 years now. On returning to our hotel, we attended our Egyptian farewell dinner saying a tearful goodbye to Hanan. In the morning we were due to fly to Jordan on the next leg of our journey. We enjoyed our last night in beautiful, majestic and mystical Egypt.