Jordan
is known principally among Western tourists for the ancient Nabatean city of Petra,
typically visited on a side-trip from Israel,
although these days many are foregoing even this short jaunt into Jordan
given the country's uncomfortable proximity to the Middle Eastern flashpoints of
Syria and Iraq.
This is a shame, for not only is Jordan comparatively much safer than many other
popular destinations in Western Europe and North America, but it offers an
array of sights and activities that should be enough to satisfy even the most discerning
of visitors.
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| Jordan's Eastern Desert Highway |
Having spent almost a month in Jordan last year, one of the
experiences I enjoyed the most was visiting the country's "desert
castles" over the course of several days. These castles were not so much strongholds
for the aristocracy as complexes which in their heyday served diverse purposes,
ranging from hunting lodges to caravan rest-stops. Built chiefly during the
period of Umayyad rule over the region in the 7th and 8th centuries CE, and
scattered over hundreds of square kilometres in Jordan's
Eastern Desert,
they differ greatly from one another in terms of their setting, layout and
degree of preservation and restoration.
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| Quseir Amra |
One desert castle in particular stands out as it enjoys the status
of world heritage site. Known as Quseir Amra, the complex originally served as
a garrison and pleasure palace of the Umayyad caliphate. On the day of my visit
on a very hot day in July there was no one else around apart the keyholder who insisted
on giving me a personal tour (gratuity expected of course). Although the site
is quite modest as one approaches from the high ground near the roadway, the
interior is incredible, with beautiful frescoes covering the walls, including one
of the earliest known surviving portrayals of a map of the heavens on a domed
ceiling.
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| Domed ceiling featuring map of the heavens |
Credit goes to the Jordanian authorities for taking steps to
maintain and protect Quseir Amra, and perhaps from this perspective it is just
as well that the site is not marketed as an "A-list" destination,
given the physical damage and other ill-effects that mass tourism is clearly
inflicting on Petra.
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