The Jewels of Jordan and Syria Tour

Highlights:

Jordan: Amman - Madaba - Mt. Nebo - Kerak - Petra – Wadi Rum

Syria: Bosra - Damascus - Maaloula - Palmyra - Krak des Chevaliers - Hama – Aleppo

Introduction

The Jewels of Jordan and Syria tour gives the opportunity to examine the remains of a number of different ancient civilizations. We will be walking through centuries of history: pre-biblical, biblical, Christian, Islamic and modern eras; each added to what went before and left a legacy for subsequent civilizations. Our journey will be a lively, entertaining cultural experience as we meet local people in the tea houses, souqs and sites.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arive Amman

Welcome to Jordan! You will be met on arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Amman.

Day 2: Amman / Madaba / Mt Nebo / Kerak / Petra

After breakfast, we explore Madaba, a town with a vibrant and well-preserved Christian heritage most evident in its superb collection of mosaics. The stand-out attraction is the Greek Orthodox Church of St George which houses the magnificent 6th Century mosaic map of the Holy Land. Set into the floor of the church and comprising two million pieces of coloured stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns and even the central colonnaded street of Jerusalem with a clearly visible Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
From Madaba it is a 10km/6 mile drive up the hill to Mount Nebo. This 1,000m (3,300ft) mountain is a very important Christian site, for it was here, on the edge of a ridge overlooking the Dead Sea, that Moses first caught sight of the Holy Land, having led his people from Sinai. It is said that he also died and was buried here. Mount Nebo offers fantastic views of the Jordan valley and the Dead Sea, with the West Bank city of Jericho usually visible from the summit and Jerusalem apparent on very clear days
We continue south to visit the imposing Kerak Castle, a typical example of Crusader architecture, with Romanesque-style stone vaults, numerous corridors, and strong doorways. The Crusader parts of the ruins are mostly on the upper level and can be identified by their dark volcanic tufa; later Arab additions are in white limestone. The upper courtyard includes the remains of a Crusader chapel and provides excellent views over the Jordanian landscape to the Dead Sea. From Kerak Castle, we drive to our hotel in Petra.
Overnight Petra (2 nights) (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 3: Petra

Today we visit Petra, the rose-red city ‘half as old as time’ which is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The city was carved into the Sharah mountains by the Nabateans, who grew rich through their control of the frankincense trade routes through Arabia. Petra fell into obscurity about a thousand years ago, while its existence, and location, were kept a closely guarded secret by the local Bedouin, until 1812 when the Swiss explorer John Louis Burckhardt tricked his way into the site.
Our guided tour of this unique and unforgettable site commences with a walk through the Siq, the narrow and winding fissure between towering cliffs, which we exit through a tiny cleft to be confronted by the awe-inspiring splendour of the Treasury monument, Petra’s most elaborate ruin, hewn into the sandstone rock. Local legend has it that this tomb once stored the gifts of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. We progress to explore the royal tombs, a roman theatre and the colonnaded street to name but a few of the astounding attractions on view. We will also walk up the 800 steps to view the vast and impressive Monastery (Ed Deir), which enjoys fabulous views over the whole area and a mountain atmosphere.
After lunch, which we will take on site, the afternoon is free to explore one of the most impressive and exciting sites of ancient history anywhere in the world. One option is to walk up to the High Place (Attuf Ridge), once the venue for sacrificial offerings, which gives wonderful views over the Petra Basin and out towards Jebel Harun and Wadi Sabra. We overnight in Petra.

Day 4: Petra / Wadi Rum / Amman

After breakfast we drive from Petra to Wadi Rum. This valley possesses one of the world’s most colourful landscapes of desert and mountain scenery. Though nowadays famed as the location of many of Lawrence of Arabia’s exploits, rock carvings bear witness to the passage of ancient tribes and traders across this desert for thousands of years.
We will enjoy a half-day jeep safari with a Bedouin guide, the best way to view the Thamudic inscriptions, burial mounds, ancient megaliths and ruined buildings that abound. We will see Nabatean rock carved stairways, dams and temples as well as myriad unusual geological formations. We recommend you climb one of the natural rock bridges to get the best panoramic view of the sun setting over the desert.
Overnight Amman (2 nights) (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 5: Amman

This morning we tour Amman, Jordan’s Capital City. Although most of Amman’s architecture is concrete and steel, circa 1960, there are the odd dramatic exceptions and remnants of its history are a pleasant surprise to stumble across, such as the Roman amphitheatre and attendant Odeon found at the heart of downtown Amman. The Citadel sits atop a hill overlooking the amphitheatre and is a patchwork of archaeological digs of Roman, Byzantine and Islamic remains
In the afternoon we drive to visit Jerash, the best preserved Greco-Roman City in the region, dubbed the ‘Pompeii of the East’. We enter Jerash through the monumental South Gate, from the dramatic colonnaded agora, we progress up the cobbled, arcaded street alongside the ruts made by Roman chariot wheels, past shop fronts and above the sophisticated sewer system that runs beneath the stones. There are a large number of striking monuments to admire in Jerash: the Corinthian Column, Hadrian’s Arch, a circus/hippodrome, an unusual oval Forum which is surrounded by a fine colonnade, two theatres, two baths, two temples (to Zeus and Artemis) as well as an almost complete circuit of city walls. We return in air-conditioned comfort to Amman (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 6: Amman / Bosra / Damascus

We take our breakfast and then head towards Jordan’s northern border with Syria. After getting over the border we proceed to Bosra, a major archaeological site containing ruins from Roman, Byzantine and Muslim times. We shall explore what is thought to be the best-preserved Roman theatre in the world. This unique monument, with an upper gallery in the form of a covered portico, is enclosed by the walls of a enchanting citadel. We shall also have time to walk around and view the Nabatean and Roman monuments, Christian churches, mosques and Madrasah all found within this splendid half-ruined city. On completing our perusal of glorious Bosra we head to Damascus, Syria’s capital city
Overnight Damascus (2 nights) (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 7: Damascus

Legend has it that on a journey from Mecca, the Prophet Mohammed cast his gaze from the mountainside onto Damascus but refused to enter the city because he wanted to enter paradise only once - when he died. This is but one of thousands of stories - the machinations of those who want to claim the world’s oldest continually inhabited city as their own is as fascinating as the wealth of architecture that they left behind, with Damascus collecting the calling cards of myriad civilisations.
We will take a city tour of Damascus, starting off with the National Museum to admire the country's finest archaeological treasures, moving on to the Tekkiye-as-Sulaymaniyye Mosque, built by the master architect Sinan and then the nearby handicraft bazaar. We progress to the Old City of Damascus, filled with bazaars and blind alleys, minarets, mosques and fountain courtyards, street-cart vendors and coffeehouses. An undoubted highlight will be the Umayyad Mosque which is one of Islam's most magnificent buildings and second only in sanctity to the holy mosques of Mecca and Medina. Its outstanding feature is its golden mosaics, which adorn several facades around the central courtyard. The Umayyad Mosque has been a site of worship stretching back some 3000 years and contains a Byzantine basilica with a casket said to contain the head of St John the Baptist.
Walking through the Perfume Souk, we will reach the 18th Century Azemi Palace which is so richly decorated that it looks like it has come straight out of a tale in the Thousand and One Nights. We will take a rest and a well-earned drink in the famous Al Noufara Café before taking the only road that cuts through the warren of the Old City, Straight Street, which leads through the Christian Quarter to the Roman city gate of Bab Sharqi, the Chapel of Ananias and the modern St Paul's Chapel
Overnight Damascus (Breakfast, Dinner).

Day 8: Damascus / Maaloula / Palmyra

After breakfast, we drive 57km North-East to Maaloula, one of the most beautiful and picturesque villages in Syria. Maaloula is situated at an altitude of more than 1500 metres with its little houses clinging to the face of an enormous rock, making the village look suspended in mid-air. Maaloula is of particular interest as the only place in the world where Aramaic; the language spoken by Christ is still used as a living language: Maaloula means entrance in Aramaic and the village offers a bewitching mixture of past and present, reality and legend, sanctity and beauty.
There are two important monasteries in Maaloula, Mar Sarkis and Mar Taqla. The Mar Sarkis monastery was built in the 4th century on the remains of a pagan temple, designed on the model of martyries, which have a simple, plain appearance. 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. We will also visit Mar Taqla monastery, along with scores of pilgrims, both Muslim and Christian, who go there to gain blessings and to make offerings. Mar Taqla monastery holds the remains of St Taqla. According to legend, St Taqla was being pursued by soldiers of her father to capture her because of her Christian faith. She came upon a mountain, and after praying, the mountain split open and let her escape through. The town gets its name from this gap or entrance in the mountain. We leave Maaloula and proceed on to Palmyra.
Overnight Palmyra (2 nights) (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 9: Palmyra

Palmyra is the famous city of the formidable Queen Zenobia who conquered Egypt and rebelled against the Romans in the late 3rd Century. What is left today are some of the most superb Roman ruins to be found anywhere in the world which have captured the imagination of travelers for generations. We have the whole day to view the highlights of this site including the colonnade street, agora, triumphal arch, theatre as well as the colossal Temple of Baal and the mystic Valley of the Tombs. The Valley of Tombs is a 1km long necropolis, with a series of large burial structures carrying rich decoration. These colourful reliefs represented the ‘personality’ or ‘soul’ of the person interred and formed part of the wall decoration of each tomb structure.
In the evening we will experience beautiful sunset views from outside the Citadel of Fakhreddine. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 10: Palmyra / Krak des Chevaliers / Hama / Aleppo

From Palmyra we drive out towards Krak des Chevaliers. As we approach we will see silhouetted against the blue sky at the pinnacle of a stone mountain the most extraordinary of all Crusader strongholds in the Middle East. It stands 650 metres above sea level and was built between 1150 and 1250 to dominate the only major pass between Antakya in Turkey and Beirut in Lebanon. Today, the barbicans, casements and bastions tower over the rich fig and olive orchards of the valley below. After walking through the entrance, we will see the small town, housed inside the citadel, with a church and chapel, aqueducts, cisterns, courtyards, stables, living quarters and large halls. Many historians contend that its completeness, setting, size and sheer magnificence make it the finest example of military fortification in the world
Our next stop will be Hama, considered to be the most picturesque city in Syria. We will have a time to stretch our legs and relax in the attractive gardens along the banks of the Orontes river. The chief attraction of this town are the great norias (water-wheels). Originating in Byzantine times, the oldest surviving wheels date from the 13th Century. The norias, which all have given names, were used to raise water from the river into aqueducts. As this function is now carried out by electric pumps, the purpose of the wheels today is purely decorative and of historical interest. Hama's Museum, housed in Beit aI-Azem (the Azem Mansion) is a splendid example of 18th century Ottoman architecture. There are lovely courtyards with central fountains, mosaics, richly decorated wood ceilings and paneled walls, marble floors and wax models of various aspects of Syrian life in bygone days illustrating the sumptuousness of a Pasha's life.
Late afternoon we drive to Aleppo, Syria’s second city where we spend the night.
Overnight Aleppo (2 nights) (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 11: Aleppo

After breakfast we take a full-day tour of Aleppo. Aleppo is arguably the most picturesque and unspoiled of all Arab Cities; the magnificent citadel dominates the maze of narrow alleyways, fabulous mosques, ancient Christian churches, khans and madrasses. In the atmospheric souks haggling for inlaid mosaic boxes, chessboards, jewellery and hookah (hubble-bubble) pipes is as intrinsic to the experience as are the fragrant scent of spices and the colourful merchandise spilling out onto the thoroughfares.
Today’s tour starts with a visit to the Archaeological Museum of Aleppo. Then we visit the Citadel, which dominates the Aleppo skyline and dates back to the Fatamid and Ayyubid eras (11th-12th Century AD). Our next stop is the splendid Grand Mosque and then the Al Wazir Caravanserai where anything and everything has a price. We finish our tour with St Simeon Monastery, considered by some to be the most beautiful cathedral in the Orient. The basilica commemorates St Simeon Stylites, one of Syria's most eccentric early Christians. In AD 423 Simeon climbed to the top of a 3m pillar and went on to spend the next 36 years atop this and other taller pillars. He ended his days on one that was a full 18m (60ft) high. After Simeon's death an enormous church was built around the famous pillar and pilgrims from all parts of Christendom came to pay their respects. The site today is remarkably well preserved, with the main Romanesque façade still standing and the arches of the octagonal yard still reasonably complete. The views offered from the Monastery are simply stunning (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 12: Depart from Damascus

We depart Aleppo and our journey through history. We bid each other a fond farewell and transfer to the airport for a flight home (Breakfast)

To book, or for more information, call Cecelia or Lindy at the Egypt & Beyond office on tel: 011 678 6165/4777 or fax: 011 678 5789 or e-mail: cecelia@egyptandbeyond.co.za / info@egyptandbeyond.co.za / lindy@egyptandbeyond.co.za

The magnificent, ancient city of Petra