Ancient Syria & Jordan Tour
Dates: December 28, 2009 to January 15, 2010. (STLCC Holiday Break)
AIA tour leader is Professor Michael Fuller
For more information about the Archaeological Institute of America Tour Program, contact: Toll Free: 800-748-6262
Outside U.S. & Canada: (603) 756-2884 Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. EST
AIA Tours, PO Box 938, 47 Main St., Suite 1
Walpole, NH 03608-0938 aia@studytours.org Fax: (603) 756-2922
Want to come? Only $xxxx includes the airplane, ground transportation, hotels and food.
Proposed Schedule :
December 28, 2009: Monday . Depart New York
December 29: Tuesday. Damascus . Arrive in Amman. Upon arrival drive to Damascus. The settlement of Damascus clearly goes back to the earliest phase of post-nomadic economic development - the fourth millennium or before - making Damascus one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban centers in the world. Upon arrival transfer to the wonderful Talisman/Four Seasons Hotel . Welcome dinner this evening. D .
December 30: Wednesday: Damascus Morning at leisure. Enjoy an introductory lecture followed by lunch.
Afternoon visit to the Umayyad Mosque which is one of the great monuments of early Islam. After the adoption of Christianity as the imperial religion the temple was converted to a Christian church. With the taking of Damascus by the Arabs in 636 it was decided to convert the church into a mosque. Admire the full splendor of the mosque's design which has lost little of its impact over 12 centuries.
Continue on to the US Embassy for a briefing. Welcome dinner at the hotel this evening. B,L,D.
December 31: Thursday. Damascus . Begin this morning's tour of Damascus at the National Museum which was founded in 1919. Enjoy a brief orientation in the museum's magnificent recreation of an 18 th century drawing room from a Damascene mansion. The archaeological and historical collections of the museum are arranged in four departments: Pre-historic, Ancient Syrian, Classical and Arab Islamic antiquities. Schedule permitting the group will be met by the museum's director.
After a traditional lunch continue on foot to explore the bazaar and the traditional khans - the warehouses for the receiving, storing and sending of trade goods and the provision of accommodation to traders. The 18 surviving khans were mostly constructed in the Ottoman period as covered halls with a central area of soaring domes. Stop at the Azem Palace which was built by the Ottoman governor of Damascus between 1749 and 1752. The palace displays all the notable features of Arab/Turkish architecture in a restful and harmonious setting. The final stop for the day is at the Street called Straight which since Roman times has been the major west/east thoroughfare of Damascus. Visit the house of Ananias, where - in a small underground chapel - Saul of Tarsus (St. Paul) converted to Christianity.
This evening enjoy a private visit to a traditional Damascene house for drinks. This unique form of Arab architecture is characterized by the use of black and white stone, ornamental patterns of colored marble and intricately carved paneling. Light and shadow are important elements in the design of high-ceilinged, cool rooms and the courtyard, with its integral central pond, fragrant with citrus, jasmine and roses.
Special New Year's eve dinner tonight at a local restaurant. B,L,D .
January 1, 2010: Friday. Damascus . Morning excursion to Malula , thirty miles north of Damascus. Located in the barren Qalamun Mountains the people in Malula do not speak Arabic, at least among themselves. That language that is most commonly spoken here is Aramaic, the one spoken by Jesus Christ. Everywhere else, it died out centuries ago, but somehow in Malula it has endured, insulated by isolation and nurtured by pride. Only here, with a population of about 5,000, and in two nearby villages does Aramaic survive.
It's a beautiful spot where the houses are built against the surrounding mountains, close to each other with the roofs of each providing a walkway to the houses above. As home to several Christian holy sites, including the fourth-century St. Sergius' Church, which was built to honor soldiers slain by a Roman emperor because of their beliefs, Malula has long been a haven for Christians. They make up about half the population, a far larger proportion than the 13 percent in Syria as a whole. The Mar Sarkis monastery was built in the 4th century on the remains of a pagan temple. It was named after St. Sarkis ( St. Sergius ), a Roman soldier who was executed for his Christian beliefs. This monastery still maintains its solemn historical character.
Close by almost looking like a fortress, is the Convent of Our Lady of Seidnayya. The convent is believed to date back to the 6th century and to be founded by the Byzantine emperor Justinian. Sadly not much remains from that period. Most of what can be seen today much dates to the 19th century. At the time of the crusaders Seidnayya was considered to be second only to Jerusalem as an important place of pilgrimage. The reason is a portrait of Virgin Mary said to have been painted by St Luke. The portrait can be seen in a small dark room beside the chapel, together with many more recent icons and silver crosses. Many miracles are attributed to the icon. From the roof of the convent one has a great view over the small town and the surrounding hills.
Group can either return to Damascus or about 20 miles further north is the site of Deir Mar Musa. Although this will involve some rigorous step-climbing, we think those that those who choose to visit Deir Mar Musa will really enjoy it. This ancient Syrian monastery of St. Moses the Abyssinian (Deir Mar Musa el-Habashi) overlooks a harsh valley and is located 1.320 meters above sea level. According to Arabic inscriptions, the present monastery church was built in 1058 AD. In the fifteenth century the monastery was partly rebuilt and enlarged, but by the first half of the nineteenth century it was completely abandoned, and slowly fell into ruins. Nevertheless, it remained in the ownership of the Syrian Catholic diocese of Homs, Hama, and Nebek. In 1984, restoration work began through a common initiative of the Syrian State, the local Church, and a group of Arab and European volunteers and the work was completed in 1994.
There will be a chance to visit the church and admire the frescoes. Thus far, three layers of frescoes have been revealed. The first layer is from the middle of the eleventh century AD, the second is from the end of the eleventh century, and the third is from the end of the twelfth or beginning of the thirteenth century.
The images of the most recent layer are fairly complete, and comprise two well integrated iconographic scenes. The first is that of the Annunciation. Gabriel stands on the north side and the Virgin Mary stands on the south side of the east window; the Emmanuel, the infant Jesus, the sun of justice, rises above.
On the second layer of frescoes, in the northern aisle near the baptistery, rests an image of the baptism of Jesus with an angel serving as a deacon, and with St. Simeon Stylites sitting atop his column.
An Italian and Syrian school for restoration of frescoes has been created at Deir Mar Musa and many other frescoes, especially from the oldest levels, are likely to be discovered in future restorations.
Return to Damascus for an evening of leisure. B,L.
January 2: Saturday. Palmyra . Morning departure for a three hour-drive across the desert past beehive-shaped houses (as protection against the extreme heat) and Bedouin tents to the palm-forested city of Palmyra, one of the great sites of the ancient world. Spend the balance of the day exploring the remains of this oasis city located midway between the Mediterranean seaboard and the thin cultivated zone of the Euphrates. Palmyra owes its origins to the underground springs emerging from the mountains that enclose the site. For this reason it was settled as long ago as the beginning of the second millennium BC. At the height of its prosperity in the 2 nd century Palmyra was a center rivaling Antioch, at least in economic importance. Visit the small but wonderful museum, the main colonnaded street with its theater and public fountain and the Temple of Bel, a large site built to a high standard of craftsmanship whose impressive scale reflects the peak of Roman prosperity in the Antonine period.
End the day discovering a number of the tombs located here. The prosperity of Palmyra during the years of its pre-eminence in the caravan trade is reflected in its funerary art. The Palmyrene upper classes put a great deal of effort into arranging their tombs including the design of "tower tombs". Here, on each floor of a multi-storeyed structure, a central corridor gives onto narrow side passages into which the remains were stacked in layered coffins usually faced with a carved limestone relief or stucco portrait of the deceased. There are also a number of underground tombs including the Tomb of the Three Brothers which offers a rich insight into Palmyrene painting styles. Here, a fresco in Syro-Roman style shows the three brothers in circular frames carried by winged victories. Other paintings convey the theme of the spirit rising above death. Zenobia Cham Hotel . B,L,D.
January 3: Sunday. Deir Ez-Zur. Morning drive to Deir Ez-Zur, a pleasant town on the Euphrates.
Afternoon visit to the local museum which contains pieces excavated from Dura Europos and Mari. Cham Hotel. B,L,D.
January 4: Monday. Aleppo . Early morning drive south to Mari and Dura Europos. Mari is a site of central importance. Discovered in 1933 the excavation of this rare example of a Mesopotamian palace found with its archives virtually intact has been one of the keys to the unraveling of the history of the Syrian/Mesopotamia region. Mari in the 3 rd century BC was a highly developed "palace state" which exploited its position midway between Babylon and the Mediterranean by demanding high taxes on commerce, particularly in metals. Much of the remains are merely mud-bricks, but the Palace of Zimri-Lim is in a remarkable state of preservation. It was from here that a rich variety of items were found including an archive of 15,000 tablets recording the household accounts of the palace as well as diplomatic and administrative records of the kingdom. The walls of the palace survive in places to a height of seven feet and are spread across a formidable range of rooms arranged around two central courtyards.
Continue on to Dura Europos founded between 280 and 300 BC and described by Rostovtzeff as the "Pompeii of the Syrian Desert." When the first wall paintings were uncovered here in April 1920, few could have expected that the incident was about to provide a new perspective on early Christian and Judaic art. Dura's remains illustrate not only the part it played in the drawn-out struggle between cultural, political and military influences of the East and West but shed an unexpected new light on early representational art of the Christian and Jewish traditions. In 211 it was declared a Roman colony and this period saw a remarkable flourishing of religious architecture in pagan, Jewish and Christian styles. The paintings from the synagogue here are now in the National Museum in Damascus. Arrive in Aleppo early afternoon and transfer to the Sheraton Hotel. Late afternoon visit to the covered souks which house a number of khans, including the Khan al-Sabun whose facade is decorated in a rich variety of carved detailing. The courtyard includes much elegant arcading and a fine arch. Here, walking along narrow cobbled-paths, a whole range of goods from old carpets to beautiful brass can be found. Sheraton Hotel . B,L,D.
January 5: Tuesday. Aleppo. Aleppo, one of the treasures of the Middle East located midway between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates River. It has the largest medieval citadel in the world and an animated bazaar where the traditions of the Middle Ages do not seem at all remote. This morning begin exploring the city at the Citadel, a masterpiece of Arab military architecture which combines the practical with the flamboyant. It is surrounded by a wide and deep moat and the entrance is across a bridge and through a 12th-century gate behind which is the massive fortified main door. Spend the morning here enjoying the beauty of the lavishly restored throne room whose dominating feature is the intricately decorated wooden ceiling.
After lunch visit the Archaeological Museum which has a fine collection of artifacts from Mari, Ebla, Hama as well as a number of items from the Classical period including Greek and Roman pottery. B,L,D.
January 6: Wednesday. Aleppo . Morning visit to Ain Dara. Ain Dara has remains from many periods including Seleucid Greek and Arab but its main interest lies in the Neo-Hittite period at the beginning of the first millennium BC when Ain Dara was one of the fragmented principalities established following the Sea Peoples' invasion of the Levant. The eclectic nature of the Neo-Hittite period is reflected in the temple which is the main point of interest on the mound. Lions and sphinxes were common themes and a frieze of sculpted lions and sphinxes runs around the lower portion of the temple. Interestingly there are four giant "Yeti" footprints on three steps leading to the entrance - it has been suggested that such imprints were designed to show that the god or goddess had visited the temple.
After a picnic lunch enjoy an afternoon visit to the 5 th century monastery of St. Simeon which is notable not only for its scale but also for the classical refinement of its detail. Unlike the later cathedrals of medieval Europe, the great church was conceived and executed more or less as a single project over a short space of time. The cruciform church, comprising four separate basilica buildings, was probably constructed shortly after the death of St. Simeon who, living as an Anchorite monk on a platform on top of a tall column, became a figure of reverence attracting pilgrims from many parts of the Byzantine world. The detail of the church is worth close examination. The sculptured decoration is superbly executed and truly extraordinary in its richness and variety. Careful observers can still discover the remains of stunning mosaic floors giving one only some idea of the grandeur that must have surrounded this church.
Evening at leisure. B,L.
January 7: Thursday. Damascus . Return to Damascus today making some interesting stops en route. The first stop will be at Ebla, one of the most important Bronze Age sites discovered, where material slowly emerging from the site is allowing archaeologists a richer understanding of life during this period.
Continue on to Apamea, nestled on the east side of the Orontes Plain, a spectacular site of beautiful stone set against lush pastures and distant mountains. Visit the Turkish caravanserai which has recently been converted and restored as a museum of mosaics collected from the region of Apamea. One of the largest mosaics depicts Socrates and the Sages and the faces are a superb example of late Roman mosaic work.
Enjoy lunch by the river banks at Hama watching the enormous wooden water wheels which creak with the flow of the Orontes. The great wheels, up to 30 feet in diameter, were designed to raise water from the Orontes into the arcaded towers to the side. The river's flow is channeled by a dam into a sluice which drives the wheel and thus the wooden box devices that trip water and discharge it at the top of the wheel's rotation.
A highlight of the day will be the stop at Krak des Chevaliers, a supreme example of Crusader castle building. The castle is sited in the only significant break in the mountain range between Turkey and Lebanon. Anyone who held this gap was virtually assured of authority over inland Syria by controlling the flow of goods and people from the ports to the interior. The Crusaders built and expanded the fort over a period of about 100 years from around 1150. When it was completed it could house a garrison of 4,000 soldiers. Arrive in Damascus late afternoon and transfer to the Talisman/Four Seasons Hotel. B,L,D.
January 8: Friday. Amman. En route to Amman today stop at Bosra, the most important site of the Roman period in Syria primarily because of the magnificent and exceptionally intact Roman theater. This classical theater is more authentically preserved than virtually any other theater in the Mediterranean. It is, without doubt, quite wonderful.
After lunch cross the border into Jordan and continue on to Jerash, a remarkably well-preserved Roman provincial city. In its heyday it is estimated that Jerash had a population of around 15,000 people and, although it was not on any of the main trade routes, its citizens prospered from the rich soil which surrounds it. Excavations have revealed two theaters, an unusual oval-shaped forum, temples, churches, a market place and baths.
Arrive in Amman late-afternoon and transfer to the Inter-Continental Hotel - renovated rooms. B,L,D.
January 9: Saturday. Amman . Excavations in and around Amman have turned up finds from as early as 3500 BC. Occupation of the town, called Rabbath Ammon in the Old Testament, has been continuous and objects found in a tomb dating back to the Bronze Age show that the town was actively involved in trade with Greece, Syria, Cyprus and Mesopotamia. Ptolemy Philadelphus (283-246 BC) rebuilt the city during his reign and it was named Philadelphia after him. Philadelphia was the seat of the Christian bishops in the early Byzantine period, but the city declined and fell to the Persian Sassanids about 614 AD. At the time of the Muslim invasion the town was still thriving and living on the caravan trade. In 1950 Amman was officially declared the capital of the Hashemite kingdom and since then has become a modern bustling city with a population of more than a million.
This morning begin exploring Amman at the American Center of Oriental Research where the group will be met by the director, Dr. Barbara Porter to learn more about this organization that is committed to the preservation of sites which are of particular significance to Jordan's rich and varied cultural heritage. After lunch, Dr. Porter will show us a collection of ancient scrolls discovered in December of 1993 at Petra.
After lunch at a local restaurant visit the National Archaeological Museum which, in addition, to a fine collection, offers wonderful views of the city of Amman. Continue on to the Traditional Jewels and Costumes Museum which has a well-presented display of traditional costumes, jewelry and utensils.
Balance of the day at leisure. B,L.
January 10: Sunday. Amman . Morning visit to the National Gallery - one of the strongest collections of contemporary art in the Middle East. The museum was founded in 1980 by HRH Princess Wijdan Ali, the first woman in Jordan to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the first female diplomat to represent Jordan at the UN.
Drive south about 11 miles to Iraq el-Amir, a site located in Wadi as-Seer. This little-visited site is fascinating. There are a number of caves that were used as tombs by the Tobiad family (an aristocratic Jewish family) in the Hellenistic period (the last few centuries BC), but the main attraction is Qasr al-Abd, which is a Hellenistic palace. The palace was the property of Joseph, son of Tobias and father of Hyrcanus. Tobias was an administrator of Byrta on behalf of king Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Built of huge, narrow stones it is very striking and is being slowly restored. Admire the sculpture here including two magnificent lion fountains. It was destroyed in an earthquake in the first few centuries AD, and is now being slowly restored. The identification of this as the palace of Joseph is in part because a description in Josephus, saying that his palace had all kinds of fountains and carvings of animals, which is just what was found here.
Stop at the Women of Iraq El Amir Society for lunch.
Continue on to what has long been believed to be the biblical Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan site, where John the Baptist lived and Jesus was baptized. The site was long off limits due to its position along a disputed border that was dotted with thousands of land mines. It was only in 1996, following the peace treaty of 1994 and two years of clearing the mines, that archaeologists were able to excavate Wadi Kharrar. 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. Using some pre-1948 studies and the early pilgrim accounts as their guide, archaeologists quickly uncovered an astonishing 21 ancient sites. These include five baptismal pools (shallow pools lined with plaster) from the Roman and Byzantine periods; a Byzantine monastery; 11 Byzantine churches (many with mosaics and Greek inscriptions); caves of monks and hermits; and lodgings for pilgrims . Whilst some still believe that Jesus was baptized on the west bank in Israel, the majority opinion firmly rests with this site in Jordan.
Return to Amman and visit the home of Widad Kawar (schedule permitting) who has the largest private collection of traditional costumes, textiles and jewelry from village, Bedouin and city communities in the Arab world. Enjoy viewing her incredible collection.
Enjoy dinner this evening with members of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature at Wild Jordan Center to learn more about their support of sustainable tourism projects. Prior to dinner there will be a brief presentation. B,L,D.
January 11: Monday. Dana. Drive to the red and white sandstone cliffs of Dana along the picturesque King's Highway stopping first at Mt. Nebo, where Moses is said to be buried. On a clear day it is possible to see the Dead Sea and the spires of the churches in Jerusalem. A group of Franciscan monks bought the site in the 1930's and have excavated the ruins of a church and monastery. Although little remains of the buildings that housed them, there are a number of spectacular mosaics. The main mosaic measures three by nine meters and depicts scenes of wine-making as well as hunters and an assortment of animals.
Continue on to Madaba to view the famous 6 th century map of Palestine which is in the form of a mosaic. Although the map is now far from complete, many features can still be made out including the Nile River, the Dead Sea and the map of Jerusalem showing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It was made around 560 AD and originally measured a staggering 25 by 5 meters. Over 2 million pieces were used in its creation.
Drive through the spectacular canyon of Wadi-al-Mujib to Kerak which lies on the routes of the ancient caravans that used to travel from Egypt to Syria in the time of the Biblical kings. Explore the fort which has been partially restored and is a jumble of rooms and vaulted passages.
After a picnic lunch head south to the Bronze Age site of Bab adh Dhra. Although not a huge amount remains of the site, the attraction is relating the place to a name. Bab adh Dhra, a large town which flourished around 2600 BC, is considered to be the biblical city of Sodom. Strategically sited overlooking Wadi Kerak, Bab adh Dhra was a walled town which attainted its zenith around 2600 BC. Remains of the massive town wall which was 5-7 meters thick and with a mud brick superstructure on stone foundations, can be seen in the excavation trenches. Across the road from the tell lies an enormous necropolis which houses tombs which have been extensively excavated. The cemetery contains thousands of graves, the earliest dating to the 4 th millennium BC long before Bab Adh Dhra was a fortified town. Shaft tombs with single or multiple chambers belong to this period. A typical chamber had a heap of bones in the center with a row of skulls to one side and a number of ceramic vessels.
Continuing south is the cave where Lot and his daughters sought refuge from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The monastery was discovered in the late 1980's and excavated under British Museum sponsorship Lot's Cave Monastery is an extraordinarily rich archaeological site that has thrown up evidence of Early and Middle Bronze Age habitation as well as Nabataean pottery, Byzantine mosaics and the earliest example of carved wood discovered intact in Jordan. The museum here (known as the lowest museum on earth) was opened in 2005 to showcase the historical heritage of the whole Jordan/Valley/Dead Sea area.
Head further south before turning east through the Dana Nature Reserve to Feynan Lodge which provides a cool, atmospheric retreat for those wishing to explore this undiscovered and archaeologically rich area of Jordan. The 26-room lodge lies like an oasis in Indiana Jones territory at the foot of the Dana valley amid the arid mountains of the Southern Rift Valley. The lodge has a unique arabesque desert design and uses environment- friendly technologies, including solar and candle power. At night, most of the lodge is lit by the soft glow of 250 goatskin-covered candles illuminating the atrium against the starry night-sky and the effect is stunning.
Spectacular dinner at the lodge. B,L,D.
January 12: Tuesday. Petra . Spend this morning exploring the area around the lodge. The total number of species recorded so far consists of 697 plants, of which three are new to science and 282 animals. Many of these are now very rare and some threatened with extinction: animals like the Grey Wolf, Nubian Ibex, the Lesser Kestrel, Eagle Owl and the Desert Monitor Lizard. So far, 45 endangered or vulnerable animals have been found in the reserve, making it truly a place of world importance. Apart from its wildlife, Dana is also rich in archaeology and culture. About 100 archaeological sites have been identified, of which the ancient copper mines in Wadi Feinan are particularly special, being considered the most important archaeological complex in southern Jordan outside of Petra.
Part of our time this morning will include visiting ancient copper mines of Feynan. This sprawling complex was once one of the largest in the ancient world and has been associated with the biblical site of Punon. Several hundred shaft mines in the area were exploited for their rich ore during the five and a half thousand years from the Chalcolithic to the Mamluke periods - 4000 BC to 1500AD. Still visible today are the enormous slag heaps from several different periods and remains of the large Roman-Byzantine town's water systems, agricultural fields, smelters and a water-powered mill. Nearby is a Roman tower and the impressive tell of Khirbet Feynan with its Byzantine churches and Christian and Islamic graves
After lunch continue by bus to Petra arriving mid-afternoon.
Upon arrival transfer to the Marriott Petra Hotel . B,L,D.
January 13: Wednesday. Petra . Morning visit to Petra, once the capital of the Nabataeans, nomadic Arabs who dominated the Transjordan area in pre-Roman times. Traveling through a narrow siq (gorge) which twists and turns one is suddenly brought into the open with the facade of the Treasury right in front. Constructed of a rose-pink sandstone and standing majestically alone it causes one to stop dead in one's tracks. Carved deeply into the rock, its fine architectural detail has been beautifully preserved. Perhaps more than any other monument at Petra, the Treasury expresses the eclectic nature of Nabataean culture and architecture, the dynamic blend of East and West expedited by Alexander the Great, whose conquests indelibly stamped the face of Greek culture on the ancient Orient. Continue on into a valley where an entire city is carved into rock.
Much of Petra's fascination comes from its setting on the edge of the Wadi Araba. The sheer and rugged sandstone hills form a deep canyon which is easily protected from all directions. The Nabataeans, who built Petra, settled in the area around the 6 th century BC and became rich, first by plundering and then by levying tolls on the trade caravans that passed through. Petra was a sophisticated capital of a flourishing empire, which extended well into Syria. As the Nabataeans expanded their territory, more caravan routes came under their control, and their wealth increased accordingly. With the rise of Palmyra in the north and the opening up of the sea-trade routes, Petra's importance started to decline. By the time of the Muslim invasion in the 7 th century, Petra had passed into obscurity.
Spend the morning exploring the ruins including the Amphitheater, the Royal Tombs and the Temple of the Winged Lions.
After lunch at Petra, continue exploring including a visit to the museum as well as a chance, for those who would like, to hike a little to the Deir Plateau where there are wonderful views. Admire the great façade of the Deir (similar to the Treasury) which is indeed, as Edward Lear so aptly wrote, "a fit crown to the marvels of the ascent."
Enjoy a wonderful dinner tonight at Petra Kitchen. The group will be taught how to cook traditional food before dinner and then enjoy a chance to taste their cooking! B,L,D.
January 14: Thursday. Dead Sea. Rise early this morning to drive south to Wadi Rum where huge pillars of sandstone rock rise abruptly and majestically from the sandy desert floor, their cliffs, sheer in places or else twisted and weathered into outlandish shapes, towering to heights of over 1,500 meters. Although on the surface Wadi Rum may appear inhospitable and barren, the desert here is a complex eco-system rich in life. Enjoy a one-hour jeep ride into this magnificent landscape made famous by the setting of David Lean's epic film, "Lawrence of Arabia.".
T.E. Lawrence is positively poetical when he turns to the subject of Wadi Rum in the Seven Pillars of Wisdom :
"The crags were capped in nests of domes, less hotly red than the body of the hill; rather grey and shallow. They gave the finishing semblance of Byzantine architecture to this irresistible place; this processional way greater than imagination. The Arab armies would have been lost in the length and breadth of it, and within the walls a squadron of airplanes could have wheeled in formation. Our little caravan grew self-conscious, and fell dead quiet, afraid and ashamed to flaunt its smallness in the presence of the stupendous hills."
The dramatic combination of massive rocks and canyons, sandstone over basalt and granite weathered into weird shapes and colors surrounded by desert sands, rivals Petra in its beauty.
Enjoy a special early Bedouin lunch before continuing north to the Dead Sea and the recently-opened Kempinski Hotel Ishtar. The rooms her are set amidst gardens dotted with lagoons and waterfalls.
In the late afternoon experience the Dead Sea, the lowest place on the earth's surface. Though many large wadi systems empty their silty floodwaters from the surrounding mountains here, there is no outlet for the water. Combined with hot air temperatures this produces a high rate of evaporation - almost 10 million tons of water per day. The evaporation leaves a mixture of salts and minerals close to saturation point, giving the sea its glutinous surface.
Enjoy a special farewell dinner this evening. B,L,D .
January 15: Friday . Return home from Amman Airport. B .
This tour is not in conjunction with St. Louis Community College, but 2 of the faculty and several students will be along to study Middle Eastern art and archaeology! Deposit checks for $1000 should be made to AIA International and given to Professor Michael Fuller along with a photocopy of your passport (the page with the picture and your name!). Need a question answered? emai me at: MFuller@STLCC.edu