by Tanvir A. Khan
All of us exclaimed ‘Why Jordan?’ when our walker friend Mr. Sakhawat observed that our next trip from the Walkers Club could be to Jordan. Knowing full well that he is a prolific writer and currently he has just retired from the Election Commission, he has a lot of time in his hand to start his fifteenth if not the sixteenth book.
The plan was to go in January but soon Mr. M. A. A. Zakariah and his wife Ms. Parveen Zakariah found out that it might be too chilly for us ‘people near the equator’. Our tour comrades changed it to March when the weather would warm up to 5* Celsius and above and relatively comfortable for us senior citizens. They gave the leadership for this journey from the beginning to the end. Ms. Jasmine Hamdan, at the other end, meaning Amman gave relentless effort in responding to all the queries of Mr. Zakariah. The feedback provided could itself transform into an article. All of us thank them from the core of our hearts.
So the process started and the visa had to be sought. There is no Embassy in Dhaka and therefore we had to take recourse of the Foreign Office where the Director-General on request of Mr. Sakhawat got us connected to the Embassy of Bangladesh in Amman, Jordan.
Brigadier General M. Sakhawat Hussein (Retd.), former Election Commissioner is an adorable person and everyone wants to assist him. This was an instance where this adoration came to our advantage. We received the ‘Visa on arrival’ and ‘OK to Board’ on time before our departure with the good office of His Excellency and the First Secretary.
March 15 was our departure date by Qatar Airways via Doha to Amman with six hours of flight the first stage and four on the terminal stage with two hours on transit. Both the representatives from the Travel Agency and the Bangladesh Embassy were in the Queen Alia International Airport to help us in. It was done in a very short time. All of us were very happy especially the Khan couple, Mr. Habibur Rahman Khan and Ms. Maqsuda Sharif Khan and my better half Ms. Anjuma Khan.
On the first day (Thursday, 15/03/2012), we arrived at Amman. It was a 35 km drive from the airport to the Ibis International Hotel and it took around 35 minutes. Upon arrival, a member of the Travel Agency and Bangladesh mission staff met us at Queen Alia International Airport for assistance with customs and immigration procedures. We were transferred to the hotel in Amman. To our pleasant surprise we had a 20 seater micro with a thoroughbred guide and chauffeur waiting for us. Mr. Omar Talal was our guide and Mr. Abu Badr Kaplan was our chauffeur.
On the second day (Friday, 16/03/2012), there was a city tour of Amman which took around four hours. Then we departed to visit the ruins of the Amman Amphitheatre, the Citadel and the Umayyad Palace. There was free time for walking and shopping in the old down town area of the city and proceed north to visit the Greco-Roman city of Jerash; one of the best preserved in the world.
Jerash, the Gerasa of Antiquity, is the capital and largest city, which is situated in the north of Jordan, 48 kilometers (30 mi) north of the capital Amman towards Syria. Jerash Governorate's geographical features vary from cold mountains to fertile valleys from 250 to 300 meters (820 to 980 ft) above sea level, suitable for growing a wide variety of crops.
Jerash is known for the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa. It is sometimes misleadingly referred to as the "Pompeii of the Middle East or Asia", referring to its size, extent of excavation and level of preservation. Jerash is considered one of the most important and best preserved Roman cities in the Near East. It was a city of the Decapolis.
In AD 90, Jerash was absorbed into the Roman province of Arabia, which included the city of Philadelphia (modern day Amman). The Romans ensured security and peace in this area, which enabled its people to devote their efforts and time to economic development. They also encouraged civic building activity.
The city finally reached a size of about 800,000 square meters within its walls. The Persian invasion in AD 614 caused the rapid decline of Jerash. However, the city continued to flourish during the Umayyad Period, as shown by recent excavations. In AD 749, a major earthquake destroyed much of Jerash and its surroundings. Excavation and restoration of Jerash has been almost continuous since the 1920s.
According to the Jordan national census of 2004, the population of Jerash City was 31,650 and was ranked as the 14th largest municipality in Jordan. The estimated population in 2010 is about 42,000.
Jerash has an ethnically diverse population, with the majority being Arabs. Circassians and Armenians also exist in a slightly larger percentage compared to other cities in Jordan. The majority of Jerash population is Muslims; however the percentage of Christians (Orthodox and Catholics) in Jerash city is also among the highest in Jordan.
Al though we missed it, In Jerash one can attend the roman army and chariots experience (RACE), where one sits where the Romans sat, see what the Romans saw at the newly restored hippodrome, with its original stone seating. The setting provides an ideal arena for a thrilling spectacle of Gladiators and Charioteers re-enacting how they appeared some twenty centuries ago during a one hour live performance featuring Roman Army warfare tactics with a company of legionaries in action, authentic seven lap Roman chariot races and Realistic gladiator fights.
On the third day (Saturday, 17/03/2012), we drove from Amman to Madaba which took around one hour. The visit was for one hour, and then 15 minutes drive to Mt. Nebo. Wadi Mujib is only a valley with a nice view you pass by. We drove to Kerak and it took one and a half hour. The visit was for 30 minutes and then 1:30 hour’s drive back to Petra.
We were given a whole day to explore the King's Highway, which was once part of the ancient Silk Road. We visited the Christian Town of Madaba "The City of Mosaics" and took a detour to visit the Monastery in Mount Nebo. We proceeded to Kerak via Wadi Al Mujib, a deep valley holding one of Jordan's most breathtaking views. We visited the castle with its diverse history dated from the Byzantine to the Mamluk period. We continue south to the hotel in Petra to stay overnight.
According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the promised land that God was giving to the Israelites.
And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. —Deuteronomy 34:1
According to Jewish and Christian tradition and the Bible, Moses was buried on this mountain by God Himself, and his final resting place is unknown. Scholars continue to dispute whether the mountain currently known as Nebo is the same as the mountain referred to in the Torah.
On March 20, 2000, Pope John Paul II visited the site during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mount Nebo being one of the most important Christian sites in Jordan). During his visit he planted an olive tree beside the Byzantine chapel as a symbol of peace.
Pope Benedict XVI visited the site on May 9, 2009, gave a speech, and looked out from the top of the mountain in the direction of Jerusalem.
On the fourth day (Sunday, 18/03/2012), visit to Petra took around 6 hours. The visit of the ancient Nabatean Capital started on horseback, followed by a walk through the Siq, a long narrow fissure between two overhanging cliffs. The tour then proceeded to gradually unfold the mysteries of the Red Rose City.
Petra meaning stone; is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduit system. Established sometimes around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourist attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
In October, 1917, Lawrence, as part of a general effort to divert Turkish military resources away from the British invasion of North Africa, led a small force of Syrians and Arabians in defending Petra against a much larger combined force of Turks and Germans. The Bedouin women living in the vicinity of Petra and under the leadership of Sheik Khallil's wife were recruited to fight in the defense of the city. The defenders were able to completely devastate the Turkish/German forces.
The Monastery, Petra's largest monument, dates from the 1st century BC. It was dedicated to Obodas I and is believed to be the symposium of Obodas the god. This information is inscribed on the ruins of the Monastery.
Christianity found its way to Petra in the 4th century AD, nearly 500 years after the establishment of Petra as a trade center. At least one of the tombs was used as a church.
According to Arab tradition, Petra is the spot where Moses (Musa) struck a rock with his staff and water came forth, and where Moses' brother, Aaron (Harun), is buried, at Mount Hor, known today as Jabal Haroun or Mount Aaron. The Wadi Musa or "Wadi of Moses" is the Arab name for the narrow valley at the head of which Petra is sited. A mountaintop shrine of Moses' sister Miriam was still shown to pilgrims at the time of Jerome in the 4th century, but its location has not been identified since.
Unfortunately we could not attend but while you are in Petra you can enjoy the magic of Petra by night. The program includes a candle lit visit to the Rose-Red City of Petra. The special aura of the ancient Nabatean trading empire comes to life as you enjoy a stroll through the mysterious Siq of Petra. At The Treasury, music and stories will help you experience Petra as the travel-weary traders of old must have known it.
In Petra you can enjoy a night cuisine course and meal at the Petra Kitchen. The Petra Kitchen has a relaxed, informal atmosphere where you'll prepare an evening meal, working alongside local women under the supervision of a chef. These includes soup, cold and hot mezza and salads, a main course and take home recipes. The price for this cooking course is US$43/ per person.
On the fifth day (Monday, 19/03/2012), we were transferred south to the enchanting desert of Wadi Rum, Jordan's largest desert and one of the most spectacular desert landscapes in the world. We drove to Wadi Rum which takes around 2 hours. It was a three hours visit. Then a three hours drive to the Dead Sea. It was a Jeep Tour inside the Wadi and later transferred to the Dead Sea. We stayed at Dead Sea Spa Hotel overnight.
Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures–including the Nabateans–leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. As of 2007[update], several Bedouin tribes inhabited Rum and the surrounding area.
In the West, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence, who based his operations here during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one of the rock formations in Wadi Rum was named "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" in memory of Lawrence's book penned in the aftermath of the war, though the 'Seven Pillars' referred to in the book actually have no connection with Rum.
The area centered on Wadi Rum (the main valley) is home to the Zalabia Bedouin who, working with climbers and trekkers, has made a success of developing eco-adventure tourism, now their main source of income. The area around Disi to the NE, home to the Zuweida Bedouin and erroneously also thought to be part of Wadi Rum by visitors, caters more for Jordanian visitors from Amman, with campsites regularly used by party-goers.
On the sixth day (Tuesday, 20/03/2012), we made a visit to the Dead Sea and later to Amman which is a 50 km drive and takes around 45 minutes. But we made a detour to the port city of Aqaba.
The Dead Sea called the Salt Sea is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are 423 meters (1,388 ft) below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. The Dead Sea is 377 m (1,237 ft) deep, the deepest hyper saline lake in the world. With 33.7% salinity, it is also one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. The Dead Sea is 67 kilometers (42 mi) long and 18 kilometers (11 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.
The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. Biblically, it was a place of refuge for King David. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from balms for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilizers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets. The Jordan Bureau of Statistics states that in 2009, 1.2 million foreign tourists visited on the Israeli side. The sea has a density of 1.24 kg/L which makes swimming similar to floating.
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important to the area, and the town is an exporter of phosphate and some shells. Aqaba is also the largest city on the Gulf of Aqaba.
Aqaba has been an inhabited settlement since 4000 BC profiting from its strategic location at the junction of trading routes between Asia, Africa, and Europe. Around 106 AD Aqaba was one of the main ports for the Romans. In the year 410 A.D. Aqaba (known then as Ayla) became the garrison of the Roman 10th Legion of the Sea Strait (Legio X Fretensis). Ayla was the home origin of what came to be known as the Ayla-Axum Amphoras.
We could see Elat, the port city of Israel from a distance. The Red Sea is surrounded by Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
On the seventh day (Wednesday, 21/03/2012) we visited Prophet Shoaib’s shrine, the Baptism site and Bangla Land. We also visited Amman downtown and the Cave of the Seven Sleepers.
Nabi Shoaib, meaning "the Prophet Jethro" is the name used in English to refer to a site in the destroyed village of Hittin, where the tomb of the Islamic prophet is believed to be located.
The tomb of Nabi Shu’ayb has been a site of annual pilgrimage for the Druze for centuries. Sunni Muslims also used to make ziyarat ("pilgrimages") there as well, though on no fixed date in the year.
The next location was the Baptism site. The overwhelming biblical, archaeological, and historical evidence has led many religious leaders throughout the world to recognize this site as the authentic site of Jesus' baptism.
This is the official website of the Baptism Site of Jesus Christ, where 2000 years ago Jesus came to be baptized by John:
"Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him (Matthew 3:13)".
It was at this very spot that history was made and where for century’s hearts yearning for Divine Grace found untold blessings.
The site was recently discovered after becoming lost, authenitified, and now home to hundreds of thousands of visitors annually from all different faiths who seek the blessings of a land graced by great prophets, saints, and the Messiah.
The Seven Sleepers, commonly called the "Seven Sleepers of Ephesus", refers to a group of Christian youths who hid inside a cave outside the city of Ephesus around 250 AD, to escape a persecution of Christians. Having fallen asleep inside the cave, they purportedly awoke approximately 150-200 years later.
The story has its highest prominence, however, in the Muslim world; it is told in the Qur'an (Surah 18, verse 9-26). While not giving the number of youths involved, the Quranic rendering of the Seven Sleepers story quite repeats the Christian account.
Unlike the Christian story, the Islamic version includes a dog that allegedly accompanied the youths into the cave, and kept watch at the entrance for the entire time. In Islam, these youths are referred to as "The People of the Cave".
Amman downtown as usual is a ladies delight. All the faces of our female tourists lit up when it came to marketing. We men were not far behind. A local restaurant feted us with Jordanian cuisine and it was so tasteful that some of us ate more than usual.
A few kilometers from Amman is the Bangla land where roughly 2,000 Bangladeshi work and reside. We had the opportunity to meet a few of them. A Bangladeshi woman who came ten years ago got married to a Jordanian and now they have two daughters. They are planning to bring the whole family from Bangladesh. Roughly 15,000 Bangladeshis are in Jordan and they are living pretty well in this country.
On the eighth day (Thursday, 22/03/2012) we were invited to the Bangladesh Ambassador’s residence at lunch as guest of his Excellency Mr. M. Fazlul Karim and Madam Karim. Brig. Gen. Sakhawat was ushered to the Embassy earlier than us by Mr. Toufiq Islam Shatil, First Secretary, Embassy of Bangladesh in Amman, Jordan and we met them at the residence later. The lunch was sumptuous as it bonded the Jordan and Bangladesh cuisine very well.
On the ninth day (Friday, 23/03/2012) we took the return flight from Amman via Doha to Dhaka.
Our perception of Jordan as a country comparing the pre and post-visit observations are on diametrically opposite poles. The question ‘Why Jordan?’ was answered overwhelmingly by our visit to various sites as described above. Not only is it a Biblical adventure with no less than sixteen Prophets directly or indirectly connected to Jordan but the variety of things that the country has to offer to the tourist as far as weather, food, cleanliness, European ambiance, rule of law, pleasantries and friendliness and so much more that anyone planning to identify a tourist location can easily spot this place immediately and include it in their list.
Really the weight is too heavy not only that you are lucky to visit the sacred sites but gain so much knowledge on the way in about a week’s time that lectures by Professors for a year would not be able to cover what has been accomplished.
Some important feedback for those who wish to visit Jordan, our quote Included:
* Assistance at the airport in Amman upon arrival and departure by our representative.
* Transfer as per above itinerary in a private modern air-conditioned van
* Accommodation at the hotels mentioned above on bed and breakfast basis.
* Entrance fees to all sites as per the above itinerary.
* Optional short horse ride in Petra
* A professional English speaking guide throughout the tour
* Tour inside the desert of Wadi Rum in a 4x4 vehicle for 3 hours.
* Portage at the airport.
We were cautioned that:
The vehicles in Wadi Rum are owned by the local Bedouin associations and are in a poor state;
Individual visa to Jordan (obtainable upon arrival for most, but not all nationalities - US$30 per person as of January 1st, 2011); and
Recommend travel insurance from World Nomads.
Dr. Tanvir A. Khan is an Economist and Urban & Regional Planner, and currently the Registrar and teaching at Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB)
