Blogs from Middle East
May 27th 2012
The first day was V ERY busy so events in piont form. Hotel Evsen reached by public transport from airport - metro first then a change to tram - helpful men at turnstiles - get tokens 2turkish lira each- machines gives change- insert red token and you are on your way. Each stop announced in turkish and english and scrolling info rolls inside the the tram wagon. If you have a map and familiarize yourself with the name of the end station of your route you are well on your way. No time for digs at Toronto Transit! Breakfast always eaten on the roof of the hotel and selection each day can be counted on being a repition of the day before .... eggs, sausage, carrot sauce, black and yellow olives, sliced cukes and tomatoes, bread, ... read more
May 26th 2012
After arriving in Istanbul the day before, we depart early in the morning for Bursa, but unfortunately catch the early morning rush hour. Istanbul, a city of over 10 million is on its way to work and we are caught up in the rush hour scramble. We leave Europe for Asia over the Bosphorus Suspension Bridge which was designed and built by the Brits and opened in 1973 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. Our trip south involves a short ferry trip across part of the Sea of Marmara. We are on the way to Bursa, which in 1326AD became the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. We reached Bursa by noon and had lunch in the centre of the silk market followed, in the afternoon, by visits to the ... read more
May 26th 2012
Lengthy 400km drive south stopping off at the ancient Roman town of Sardis, which prior to the Roman occupation, was capital of the Lydian empire. We crawled over the ruins and remains of the Temple of Artemis, a Roman synagogue, bath, gymnasium and library. All very atsmospheric. Then on to Pamukkale, which is famous for its"cotton castle" being a dazzling white array of shaped travertine terraces. Adjoining the terraces is the remains of the ancient city of Hierapolis which was founded in the Hellenistic times. It was eventually ceded to the Romans but unfortunately the city was destroyed by an earthquake in AD60. It was eventually rebuilt but fell into decline with the fall of the Roman Empire.... read more
May 25th 2012
Al-Khobar is one of the major cities in the Eastern province, the other two cities being Dammam and Dhahran. These three cities function as a closely linked triangle, that has its existence for centuries now. The History of Al Khobar is very interesting as it is a part of the magnificent Saudi Arabia. It is said, that, in the past, the Al-Khobar used to be a small port on the famous Arabian Gulf. This port of the past was mainly inhabited by the fishermen. But, the small port was soon to be one of the greatest discoveries. Oil was found in Al-Khobar and it was transformed into a busy industrial port. However, this does not end Al-Khobar's History, rather, this era saw the beginning of Al-Khobar as one of the major ports in the Middle East. ... read more
May 25th 2012
This small Arab nation is to be found in the Persian Gulf. If you travel back to times of yore, you will know that Bahrain has influences from places like Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Babylonians and of course the Arabs. Bahrain Tourist Information guide is certainly a guiding star as to knowing much about the history of Bahrain. History in Bahrain is a fascinating voyage into the makings of a country and its coming of age.... read more
May 25th 2012
We trekked up to Tel Arad on Wednesday the 23rd. To illustrate the height of my nerd-dom in the ancient world, the highlight of the day was visiting the Arad house, which demonstrates the typical house layout from the Early Bronze Age. The doorway presents itself on the long end of the wall, and the dwelling had no windows. Ah, you want more trivia about this fascinating site? How about the fact that a small clay model of the exact same dwelling was found within the Arad House, which helps us confirm that this design was in fact a standard design for this time period. Brian (our fearless class instructor) made an excellent point at this site. We read so often about the various types of sacrifices which were performed throughout the Old Testament. Though the ... read more
Masada, the Dead Sea, and Qumran
Published: May 25th 2012Middle East » Israel » South District » Masada
May 25th 2012
I must first mention this evening that I am sitting in my top floor hotel room in Old Town Jerusalem, beverage in hand. The Sabbath is in full effect here, as it is every Friday night at sundown, which means that the town almost falls silent. Earlier a large group of us congregated up on the roof as fireworks echoed around us, but the lack of crowd noise and the background noise of cars once per week is such a contrast to the norm. But something must be open a few floors beneath me on the street, as I can still hear the din of a crowd socializing. Saxophone, of all things, wafts up through my open window. Jerusalem never seems to disappoint or fail to surprise. The final day of our trip down south was ... read more
May 25th 2012
The Jabal Al Qarah Caves, located approximately 13 km east of Al Hofuf, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, are an intricate cave system developed in the calcareous sandstone, marl and clay of the Upper Miocene to Lower Pliocene Hofuf Formation. Physiographically, the hill of Jabal Al Qarah is an outlier mesa that is located at the eastern edge of the Shedgum Plateau, the southern extension of the As Summan Plateau, and the larger Syrian Plateau to the north. Based on cave morphology and interpreted evolutionary history, the Jabal Al Qarah caves appear to be significantly different from other limestone caves reported in the As Summan Plateau. Jabal Al Qarah is known for its tall, linear cave passages and narrow canyons. The boxwork of linear passages is better developed here than any other known cave locations in ... read more
exploring the Shephelah of Israel
Published: May 24th 2012Middle East » Israel » Center District » Rehovot
May 24th 2012
On Tuesday (May 22nd) we took off for a 3-day excursion through the Shephelah, Coastal Plain (S of Tel Aviv), and the deserts of the Negev. Our first stop took us far and away from our home base of Jerusalem westward, bumping over valleys and over bridges on the modern roads which now scream past the ancient trade routes and fortresses. We eventually turned off at a small industrial complex, and the large tour bus (freight liner?) began slowly winding on a small gravel road past wheat fields and vineyards. If our tour guide had been any but the fearless and atrociously knowledgable Brian of Fresno Pacific Uni, we probably would have been slightly more suspicious ending up where we did! Our driver's efforts were soon rewarded, however, as we disembarked at the base of Khirbet ... read more
May 24th 2012
Well, here I sit looking out the window at Abu Dhabi airport. Looks just the same as Sydney or Melbourne... could be anywhere really. Looking out the window of the plane coming down though it was unmistakable that is wasn't just anywhere. Sand, sand and more sand. Oh and did I mention that there was a lot of sand. I decided not to do a stopover here; too anxious to get to Italy! Flight from Hobart was fast... flight from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi was slow! Seriously though, not too bad for a 14-hour flight. I think I slept for about three hours. Pretty good considering how cramped it was. The flight was absolutely full... not a spare seat to be had. I flew Etihad, the national carrier of the UAE. Food was pretty good, everything ... read more
