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Jordan and Israel
  • Robert Allan

Jordan and Israel

A short adventure trip around the sites of Jordan, before heading to Israel for the Scotland qualifying game. Read more
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  • Trip start
    October 5, 2018
    Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Ajloun(Ajlun) Castle

    October 6, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Early morning pickup, and first up was to Ajloun Castle, about an hour and a half out of Amman.

    One of the monument artifice models of the Ayyubid military architecture. Ajloun Castle is located at Jabal Awf about 1123m above sea level and was built by Prince Izzeddin Usemah 1184 AD under the reign of Sultan Salah al-Din al Ayyubl. The purpose for this castle was to secure and protect the communication routes against the Frankish inroads from southern Levant. The castle also served as a supplies center provisioning military supplies, and as a location for pigeon post.Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Ajloun(Ajlun) Castle

    October 6, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Ajloun Castle was first composed from four towers and a trench, and later in 1214 AD was made larger under the Sultan Saif AL-Din Al Ayyubl, and his son ruler of Damascus al-Muanam Sharaf al-Din Eissa. The renovation continued under supervision of Prince Aybak bin Abdullah and under reign of salah al-Din Yusuf Ibn Al-Aziz ruler of Damascus and Aleppo ( 1250-1259) Ajloun Castle In 1260 AD was partially demolished by the Tatar, until rebuilt by the Sultan al-Zahir Baybars under surpervlslon of Prince Izzeddin Aybak Al-Alai. During the Mamluk Age, Ajloun Castle was made the central house of Ajloun Deputyship. Under the Ottomans, Ajloun Castle was used as a military garrison by the state and some local lords in the district. The castle was partially damaged due to earthquakes which took place in 1837 and 1927.Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Jerash

    October 6, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Then it was off to the amazing Jerash, happily walking for a good few hours around this ancient city.

    Jerash is a city in Jordan, north of the capital Amman. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, it’s known for the ruins of the walled Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa just outside the modern city. These include the 2nd-century Hadrian’s Arch, the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis and the huge Forum’s oval colonnade.Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Mount Nebo and the Basilica of Moses

    October 7, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Early morning start for a long day south.

    We head south west for under an hour to Mount Nebo, and the Basilica of Moses. The Basilica has a magnificent view over the Jordan Valley and the North end of the Dead Sea. Although hazy at this time in the morning, we can see the oasis town of Jericho and the place on the Jordan River were John did his baptisms.

    Mount Nebo is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land, and is where he died. No one knows precisely where. Although the Mount was inhabited far back, it was the Christians that built a church as a monument to Moses.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Dead Sea swim

    October 7, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    From Mount Nebo we went to the nearby town of Madaba, where they have a tradition of mosaic making. We visit a small workshop where they explain the process, and show the different styles, with the mosaics with the smallest tiles taking up to month, and quite naturally costing the most.

    Then it was all downhill, quite literally. Going from 2500ft to 1200ft below sea level, to the Dead Sea.

    We arrive at one of the many hotel resorts along the Dead Sea where I could go swimming.

    It was a very weird sensation of having considerable buoyancy, where it was quite difficult to tread water because of the buoyancy of your legs forcing them up.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Aqaba

    October 7, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    We make our way south along the Rift Valley alongside the Dead Sea for a while, before climbing to a desert plateau, always skirting the Israeli border, to the northern outskirts of Aqaba. Every few kilometres there is an lookout tower or bigger and lookout base, looking towards the Israelis. Aqaba is Jordan's only seaport, and is where we join the Desert Highway which heads north again further east of the Rift Valley.

    We have a short stop, where we can see Israel across the valley to the west, and just through the haze Egypt. Aqaba is like a duty free city, because along with being a gateway to Israel and Egypt to the west, it is also the gateway to Saudi Arabia which is only about 30km to the south east.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Desert 4WD ride

    October 7, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We arrive at the Wadi Rum camp where we are staying for the night, drop our bags, and immediately go on a two hour jeep tour of the Wadi Rum desert and canyons. We have a few stops, one for some Bedouin tea. Further on we see some ancient carvings of camels on the rock's.

    We then visit ‘The Valley of the Moon’, this is the place where Prince Faisal Bin Hussein and T.E. Lawrence based their headquarters during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in World War I, their exploits intrinsically woven into the history of this amazing area. So much so the local Bedouin carved both there faces into a rock, and inscribed there names in Arabic. Further on we stop on a high promontory to watch an amazing sunset over the desert.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Wadi Rum camp

    October 7, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We get back to the camp, where we are joined by a couple of other tour groups, mostly Dutch and French. We have a buffet style meal of local food, not entirely sure what it all was but still had it, topped off with a traditional roast of chicken and lamb, that was cooked in the sand. Afterwards we have some local music, and even join in with some dancing, some weird shapes on the dance floor.

    Afterwards we retire to our beds, more tented rooms than actual tents. The end of a very long day.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Wadi Rum Train Station

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Another 8am start for the main day of the tour. Not far from the Wadi Rum camp we visit the Wadi Rum Train Station where a Turkish train has been left since 1916.

    It's still in pretty good condition. The railway is still in use, primarily for the transport of Potash from cental Jordan to the seaport at Aqaba.Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Petra View

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Not long after joining the Desert Highway north from Aqaba, we turn off onto the Kings Highway, the ancient route from Aqaba north through Amman all the way to Damascus, also used by the pilgrims.

    Along the route the altitude changes from around 2500ft to about 5400ft at it's highest. We stop at a viewpoint over the Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), were we look down on the rocky canyons that enclose Petra, and with the Rift Valley in the hazy distance. Alongside this viewpoint, understandably the Crown Prince has a house, what a view.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Bab al Siq (Petra Entrance)

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We arrive in the town of Wadi Musa where we'll be staying for the night. It's also where the gateway to Petra is.

    After dropping my bags at the hotel, we head to the Petra visitor centre, where we pick up the tickets. You can also take a horse from here to the entrance, which is included in the ticket price. I decide to walk, it's only a kilometre. Along the route we see the Obelisk Tomb and Bab al-Siq Triclinium. This tomb had five people buried here in the upper part, with the lower part being a banqueting Hall to honour the memory of the deceased each year.

    It is not known precisely when Petra was built, but the city began to prosper as the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC, which grew rich through trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices. Petra was later annexed to the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until a large earthquake in 363 AD destroyed much of the city in the 4th century AD. The earthquake combined with changes in trade routes, eventually led to the downfall of the city which was ultimately abandoned. By the middle of the 7th century Petra appears to have been largely deserted and it was then lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.

    In 1812 a Swiss explorer named Johannes Burckhardt set out to 'rediscover' Petra; he dressed up as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After this, Petra became increasingly known in the West as a fascinating and beautiful ancient city, and it began attracting visitors and continues to do so today.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    The Siq

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The Siq is a narrow gorge which is the only access to Petra, and is 1.2km long. This was the original course of Wadi Musa (River of Moses). Two water channels were carved in the wall sides, on the left drinking water, and eroded from the right the toilet water.

    At one time the Siq used to flood from the local river, so the Nabataean's built a dam at the entrance and diverted it through an 86m tunnel they also built. This then rejoins the Wadi Musa at the start of the Colonnade Street inside Petra. This meant Petra was never without water for domestic needs, filling the fountains, and irrigating the surrounding fields.

    Side gulleys of the Siq were also dammed to stop flooding, which still need to be maintained. The Siq also originally had an entrance arch and drawbridge. The rock walls of the Siq reach a maximum height of 80-90m, and in some stretches are just 3m apart.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Al-Khazneh al-Faroun

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Known locally as the Treasury, this tomb is where most visitors fall in love with Petra. The Hellenistic facade is an astonishing piece of craftsmanship. Although carved out of iron-laden sandstone to serve as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas III, the Treasury derives its name from the story that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure here (in the facade urn) while pursuing the Israelites.

    Some locals clearly believed the tale because the 3.5m-high urn is pockmarked by rifle shots. As with all rock-hewn monuments in Petra, the interior is unadorned. It's 40m high and 28m wide. They started carving it from the top down, so as not to damage it.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Street of Facades

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Continuing in the direction of the city, we go through the part of the Wadi Musa valley known as the Outer Siq. This stretch of road is also known as the Street of Facades, because of the amount of Royal tombs that align it.

    To the right, the great massif of Jebel Al Khubtha looms over the valley. Within its west facing cliffs are burrowed some of the most impressive burial places in Petra.

    Known locally as the Treasury, this tomb is where most visitors fall in love with Petra. The Hellenistic facade is an astonishing piece of craftsmanship. Although carved out of iron-laden sandstone to serve as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas III, the Treasury derives its name from the story that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure here (in the facade urn) while pursuing the Israelites.

    Some locals clearly believed the tale because the 3.5m-high urn is pockmarked by rifle shots. As with all rock-hewn monuments in Petra, the interior is unadorned. It's 40m high and 28m wide. They started carving it from the top down, so as not to damage it.

    Petra is also known as the rose-red city, a name it gets from the wonderful colour of the rock from which many of the city's structures were carved. The Nabataeans buried their dead in intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides and the city also had temples, a theatre, following the Roman annexation and later the Byzantine influence, a colonnaded street and churches.

    In addition to the magnificent remains of the Nabataean city, human settlement and land use for over 10,000 years can be traced in Petra, where great nature, cultural, archaeological and geological features merge.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    The Theatre

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The Theatre at Petra stands at the eastern extremity of the urban area, where the Wadi Musa gorge opens up. It's also the only theatre in the world carved in rock.

    Originally built by the Nabataeans (not the Romans) more than 2000 years ago, the Theatre was chiselled out of rock, slicing through many caves and tombs in the process. It was enlarged by the Romans to hold about 8500 (around 30% of the population of Petra) soon after they arrived in 106 CE. Badly damaged by an earthquake in 363 CE, the Theatre was partially dismantled to build other structures but it remains a Petra highlight.

    The seating area had an original capacity of about 3000 in 45 rows of seats, with three horizontal sections separated by two corridors. The orchestra section was carved from the rock, but the backdrop to the frons scaenae (stage, which is no longer intact) was constructed, as opposed to carved, in three storeys with frescoed niches and columns overlaid by marble. The performers entered through one of three entrances, the outlines of which are still partially visible.

    To make room for the upper seating tiers, the Romans sliced through more tombs. Under the stage floor were storerooms and a slot through which a curtain could be lowered at the start of a performance. From near the slot, an almost-complete statue of Hercules was recovered.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Colonnade Street and Temenos Gate

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    The valley is crossed for its entire length by a wide Colonnade Street, parallel to the river. Built in the 2nd century AD by the Romans it is thought to be prevalently for ceremonial use, due to the absence of cart furrows, and would be flanked by seventy-two columns. It replaced the original Nabataean Street. The south side would have been an almost uninterrupted row of shops, the northern side probably hid the irregular buildings behind it.

    At the western end of the Colonnade Street was the monumental Temenos Gate, which gave access into the sacred enclosure surrounding the city's main sanctuary known as Qasr al-Bint. The gate, which collapsed during an earthquake, has had recent restoration.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    South Temple & Temple of the Winged Lion

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Alongside the Colonnade Street is the South Temple or Large Temple. Dominating the south side of the street, it's accessed by a double staircase, and would have had a monumental door. The style of the temple is believed to be from the Syrian and Palestinian areas.

    Right across the Colonnade Street and on the northern bank of the Wadi Musa stands the Temple of the Winged Lions. The columns are decorated with crouching winged lions, from which the temple takes its name. This temple was built by the Nabataean's, but was destroyed by fire about 110-114AD. It was never rebuilt.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Qasr al-Bint

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    One of the few free-standing structures in Petra, Qasr Al Bint was built in around 30 BCE by the Nabataeans. It was later adapted to the cult of Roman emperors and destroyed around the 3rd century CE. Despite the name given to it by the local Bedouin, Castle of the Pharaoh’s Daughter, the temple was originally built as a dedication to Nabataean gods and was one of the most important temples in Petra.

    The temple once stood 23m high and its features included marble staircases, imposing columns, a raised platform for worship, and ornate plaster and stone reliefs. The central ‘holy of holies’, known as an adyton, would have housed an image of the deities. The sacrificial altar in front, once overlaid with marble, indicates that it was probably the main place of worship in the Nabataean city and its location at street level suggests that the whole precinct (and not just the temple interior) was considered sacred.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    The Monastery

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    From the main part of Petra, is a trail of mostly steps up for 2.5km to Ad Deir, or the Monastery. It's one of the largest in Petra at 47m wide and 48.3m tall. It's a considerable hike up, and has a little peak a bit further that has a great view over it.

    Hidden high in the hills, the Monastery is one of the legendary monuments of Petra. Similar in design to the Treasury but far bigger (50m wide and 45m high), it was built in the 3rd century BCE as a Nabataean tomb. It derives its name from the crosses carved on the inside walls, suggestive of its use as a church in Byzantine times. The ancient rock-cut path of more than 800 steps starts from the valley floor and follows the old processional route.

    The courtyard in front of the Monastery was once surrounded by columns and was used for sacred ceremonies.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Viewpoint over Rift Valley

    October 8, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Further along from the Monastery a trail leads up to stunning hazy viewpoints over Wadi Araba, Israel and the Palestinian Territories and south to the peak of Jebel Haroun, topped by a small white shrine.

    After that I had to back track all the way down, through Petra and the Siq. A total of over 19km, tiring but a fulfilling day.    Read more

  • Robert AllanJordan and IsraelTraveler

    Little Petra

    October 9, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We head to Siq al-Barid, commonly known as Little Petra, 9km north of Wadi Musa town. With its short, high gorge and familiar carved facades, it has similarities to it's big brother. However, although it sees its share of tour buses, is a lot less touristy than Petra.

    A short way along the road there, we park on the shoulder for one of Petra’s best views. A breathtaking sweep over the central valley of the ancient city, with many of the monuments in view, dwarfed by the mountains, where a local Bedouin is also admiring it.

    This whole area was a thriving community in Nabatean times, and there’s evidence in almost every cranny of Nabatean occupation. Just before you reach the Siq entrance, there’s a particularly striking facade on the right, with a strange, narrow passage for an interior.

    As you enter, you’ll realize why this was dubbed Siq al-Barid (the “Cold Siq”): almost no sun can reach inside to warm the place. It’s only about 350m long, with alternating narrow and open sections, and differs from most areas of Petra, firstly in the density of carved houses, temples and triclinia, there are very few blank areas, and secondly in the endearingly quaint rock-cut stairs which lead off on all sides, turning it into a multistorey alleyway that must once have hummed with life. In the first open area is what was probably a temple, fronted by a portico, below which is a little rock-cut house. The second open area has four large triclinia, which could have been used to wine and dine merchants and traders on their stopover in Petra. A little further on the left, stairs climb up to the Painted House, a biclinium featuring one of the very few Nabatean painted interiors to have survived the centuries: on the ceiling at the back is a winged cupid with a bow and arrow; just above is a bird, to the left of which is a Pan figure playing a flute. The third open area culminates in rock-cut stairs which lead through a narrow gap out onto a wide flat ledge; the path drops down into the wadi (Petra is to the left), but you can scramble up to the right for some excellent views.    Read more

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