King Abdullah Mosque, Amman
Another view of the King Abdullah Mosque, Amman
A blurry picture of His Majesty King Abdullah II (with Matt's father in focus, of course...) who visited King's Academy to celebrate Iftar. You can read about the visit at: http://www.kingsacademy.edu.jo/default.asp?contentID=869
View of the King's Academy campus taken from the clocktower. Other photos of the campus can be seen at: http://www.kingsacademy.edu.jo/
Another view of King's Academy. The grass (clearly not native to Jordan) is a special request from the King.
The Clocktower, with young trees and struggling grass.
The Mountain Road to the Dead Sea as seen from the top of Mount Nebo.
The Brazen Serpent Monument atop Mount Nebo. The sculpture was created by Italian artist, Giovanni Fantoni, and is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
View to the town of Madaba (home of the awesome Haret Jdoudna restaurant and a $.35 falafel place...) from Mount Nebo.
The interior of the church atop the mountain contains many ornate floor mosaics - some dating back to the 4th century.
A view of the Jordan River. Thanks to agricultural dams, evaporation, and industry, it is now one of the most endangered ecosystems in the Middle East (and a sliver of its original size).
Dead Sea landscape near the Jordan River.
View of the Dead Sea and one of the outdoor pools at the Movenpick Resort + Spa. The first visit was so unbelievably luxurious that I went back the following week...
Outdoor dining area at the Movenpick near sunset.
Bouganvillas of every imaginable color can be seen growing wild in the humid, tropical climate near the Dead Sea.
The grounds at the Movenpick.
Sunset at the Dead Sea.
Moments after sunset...
Petra camel (more to follow).
Desert Guard seated in the Treasury Building at Petra.
Interior details of the Treasury Building at Petra.
At least we both have our eyes closed...
A few of the Royal tombs at Petra.
The canyon walls are lined with dozens of smaller tombs.
The theatre at Petra.
A young Bedouin salesman hawking Petra rocks for 1JD each. I declined the purchase but he agreed to a photo (for a small modeling fee, of course).
The Great Temple site at Petra which has been excavated in part by archeologists at Brown University.
Bits and pieces from the Great Temple site at Petra.
More caves and carved rock...
The Citadel in Amman. The mosque's dome is new construction.
Some things transcend language differences... (although with it being Ramadan don't think you're getting any service until right before sunset)
The first of three desert castles I visited in eastern Jordan. This one is Qasr al-Kharrana and was used as a lodging place for caravans.
Interior details of Qasr al-Kharrana - the structure was most likely constructed by the Umayyads (661-750 AD).
Outside view of the Qasr al-Kharrana.
Qusayr Amra was a bath house noted for its extensive fresco paintings which cover virtually all the interior surfaces. The paintings include themes such as hunting, dancing, and musicians, bathing scenes, cupids, and personifications of history, philosophy and poetry.
Built after the introduction of Islam in the region, the structure is unique in that it contains pictoral respresentations of living forms (clearly forbidden, or haraam).
More frescoes - amazingly well preserved.
The fort at Azraq, built entirely from local basalt stones, was first occupied in 300 AD. The fort was the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Great Arab Revolt in 1917.
The fort at Azraq.
Curved arches at the Azraq fort.
The ruins of Pella.
The landscape of Pella.
Entrance to a gravesite in Pella.
The University of Sydney has been conducting excavations at Pella since 1978, focussing on the site's Bronze Age and Iron Age temples and administrative buildings, which were first exposed in 1994.
Pella temple.
Smoking an after-dinner argila at Haret Jdoudana. The food, drink, and atmosphere at this popular Madaba restuarant was fantastic.
"Gladiators" performing a reenactment at Jerash. I really like the gray furry costume the warrior front and center is wearing.
Jerash reenactment performance - that's the "Roman army" lined up in front of the arches.
Gladiators, Roman army, and chariot driver.
The South Gate at Jerash.
Hadrian's Arch at Jerash.
Matt next to a column at Hadrian's Arch.
The view from Mukawir - the location of John the Baptist's beheading.
Matt and Laura at the Mukawir summit - both heads intact.
A view of the Mukawir summit from the parking lot.
