Waking up in an Arab country, usually means the call to prayer at 5 AM… I love the melodious, haunting chant that wafts over roof tops and through open windows five times a day.
In Amman, the call to prayer was distant but just enough to wake us for another day of exploring. This time: the Dead Sea.
One of the main attractions of Jordan is Petra. Between 400 B.C. and A.D. 106 Petra was the capital of the Nabataean empire. This thriving city was a center for trade. Its buildings were carved out of the rock faces. How? They had no tools other than stones. But they possibly used ropes to suspend builders from the top of the rock faces. The designs of the buildings are amazingly accurate and symmetrical and include pillars and intricate details.
From Amman, Jordan there are many interesting day trips to make, following ancient routes that, except for the roads’ surface, have not changed locations over the centuries.
The Kings’ Highway follows ancient trade routes, connecting north and south of the country. It is believed that the Three Wise Men followed at least part of this very same route on their way to Bethlehem. Moses used it to lead his people to Canaan… The Bible refers to it by name.
Just recently Nico, my 12 year old grandson, and I flew to Amman, Jordan. I had been briefly to Jordan before - to visit Petra. This time we would explore more of this ancient country and learn much more about its history. While the current Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is relatively new, formed in 1949, the country has ancient roots…
Before traveling to Petra in Jordan, I had read about Nabataeans living here more than 2,000 years ago. How they carved facades of buildings out of the rocks in which they made their homes. About how Romans eventually conquered them by cutting off their ingenious water supply systems. I had seen pictures of the red rock carvings. I knew that the Siq, the long steep gorge leading to the site, was over a kilometer long.
But indeed nothing prepared me for that first sight of ancient Petra. It truly did take my breath away and left me all choked up.
