Day 2: Of Castles and Kings

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Despite being very tired, I found it difficult to sleep in a very cold room (the windows had been left open) with a pillow the size of a small mountain. Nevertheless, I must have slept because the alarm woke me at 07h30 and the pillow was on the floor.

I showered and headed downstairs for breakfast by 08h00 and found myself taking orange juice and black coffee with Pauline and Andrew, who had taken a coach down from Sheffield to Heathrow. Breakfast was a simple affair with bread, jam, oranges, dates and some funny green stuff. The introductory chat was interesting and before long, it was all over and we had to go and get ourselves ready for the day.

Back downstairs by 09h00, I found myself part of a group of nine comprising three couples (yes - one was genuinely called Sam 'n' Ella) and 3 singles. We were introduced to our guide for the week - Bassam, a Jordanian living in Hungary who ran his own travel company.

We paid our $100 local fee and were immediately met with a proposition. Apparently, other groups were not happy with the itinerary and Bassam had an alternative. Today, we would do an extra castle rather than spend some time in Amman and tomorrow we would do one of the castles earmarked for later in the week. This would give one completely free day which would be filled with a visit to Jesus' Baptism site and a hike to some hot water springs. Without question, we all agreed.

Ajlun - Saladin's Fortress

It had been raining during breakfast but now, the sun was shining and we all clambered aboard our bus. As we headed north towards Ajlun, Bassam began to tell us the history of Jordan and the history of the Royal Family. In the cool morning air, the rocky scrub land gave way to greener hills the farther north we ventured. Up and down hill we went, ever northwards through the biblical hills of Gilead with its olive groves until we arrived in the village of Ajlun. Being a Sunday, the first day of the working week, the village was busy with traders buying and selling beneath the view of the 600 year old minaret. We headed through the town and up towards the peak of a hill overlooking the village. There, sitting, literally, squarely on the summit, was a ruined castle.

It turns out that this castle is a fine example of Islamic military architecture. It was build in the late 12th century by Saladin and comprised seven towers and a moat some 40' deep. Not bad as it sits astride a hill top. Due to its position overlooking the Jordan valley, the castle was an important link in the chain of castles built to defend against the Crusaders. Across the valley, was the corresponding Crusader fort on the Sea of Galilee in present day Israel. In the middle of the 13th Century, Mongol invaders destroyed the castle but it was rebuilt, only to be destroyed by nature in an earthquake in the late 1920s.

We got out of the coach and were put on board a little local bus and taken to the castle doors. There, we were greeted by an elderly gentleman selling fresh coffee. After a refreshingly hot drink in the surprisingly chilly air, we made out way up the ramp and into the castle.

Although I've seen castles all over the UK, this was a new departure. Saladin had been very cunning in designing his arrow slits. Although there was a slot in the wall, it was at waist height inside a large niche. This meant that two or three archers could man each slot rather than just one.

We continued up the main entrance and passed underneath the portcullis. There, our guide led us through a private door and we went to see a part of the castle not open to the public. Stone balls were evident as were beautiful carvings and, as we wound our way around the castle, we got higher and higher until we found ourselves in the sunshine, in the wind and on the roof. Boy was it cold. I'm in the Middle East for heaven's sake - it should not be cold! Mind you, the view across to the Jordan River and Israel was absolutely stunning - the castle was certainly built in an amazing place.

Returning to the coach, settled down but stopped part way down the hill to take some photos putting the castle into the context of the surrounding countryside. There, we found the grounded littered with bright red anemones, yellow rape seed and purple periwinkles - such a fitting groundsheet to the view of the castle.

After a lunch of beef, chicken and lamb we arrived at our afternoon stop.

Jerash - A Hidden Gem

Who'd have thought that such a well preserved Roman city ever existed. Bath? Well, there's a bit of Rome there, but here - almost as far as the eye can see - and most, yes, most, has yet to be uncovered. Time Team would have a field day and I reckon would not bother looking at anything Roman because we know it's there and probably come away having found the only Neolithic site in the area!

Jerash originally had a population of about 200,000 people and existed solely due to the good agricultural land in the area. Walking around the site, it's very easy to imagine a bustling city, with shops, fountains, people milling and entertainment.

Although there had been a Roman presence for some time, it wasn't until the 1st century AD that the city that's seen today was laid out. It consists of a single main street running north-south which is intersected by several streets running east-west.

In AD129, Hadrian (him of the Wall) visited and in celebration, a triumphal arch was built. As we entered the site, a Roman soldier stood atop the arch and blew his trumpet announcing the start of the games. We didn't go and see the games, preferring to see the sites instead.

Having passed beneath Hadrian's arch, we made our way up towards the South Gate. Once our tickets had been inspected, we entered the absolutely spectacular Oval Plaza. This plaza is absolutely huge with a central fountain. 56 Ionic columns surround the plaza yet don't confine it. Making our way to the Temple of Zeus, we were drawn to the sound of bagpipes coming the South Theatre. There, we found the Massed Bands of the Jordanian Bagpipers entertaining a few spectators, far fewer than the 5000 seating capacity. Standing in the middle of the amphitheatre, it is interesting to whisper to the audience and hear your whisper immediately in yours ears - a testament to the superb acoustics even now, some 2000 years after the theatre was built.

Moving on to the very spectacular 800m long cardo maximus, we made our way up on the original flagstones worn by chariot wheels. Notice that the stones are laid diagonally so that there are no gaps in which the chariot wheels could stick.

A little farther along the cardo maximus, we came to the Cathedral, a 4th century Byzantine church, the Temple of Artemis and finally, the Nymphaeum. The detail in the carving was marvellous as was the engineering, which permitted the 9 muses to pour water continuously into a large pool.

Returning to Amman, we walked into the city to explore the City Mall, grab a bite to eat and settle into the bar for a drink and contemplate another early start.

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Photos

Ajlun Castle
Selling Arabic Coffee - a special brewing method complete with cardamon

Ajlun
The steps up from the main' Gate.

Ajlun
One of the seven towers

Ajlun
View down into the city

Ajlun
Mosaic

Ajlun
Some of Saladin's men

Ajlun
View of the castle from the approach

Anemone
One of the many wild flowers on the hill

Jerash
Roman Soldier over Hadrian's Gate