Castles of Jordan 24 September – 3 October, 2016 Accompanied by Professor Denys Pringle Day 1. Saturday. 24 September. Amman. Depart London Heathrow this afternoon on Royal Jordanian Airlines direct flight to Amman. On arrival in Amman later this evening you will be met and transferred to Belle Vue Amman Hotel www.bellevue-hotels.com/en/hotels/2/ Day 2. Sunday. 25 September. Amman / Jerash / Ajloun Castle This morning begin exploring Amman in the ‘down-town’ area of Amman, the Roman Theatre, and the Citadel. Continue on to the ancient city of Jerash with its unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years. The city's golden age came under Roman rule, during which time it was known as Gerasa, and today it is one of the world’s finest preserved Roman provincial towns. Hidden (and protected) for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash is a excellent example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism and comprises paved and colonnaded streets, hilltop temples, impressive theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls. B,L,D. Continue on to Ajloun Castle: (Qal'at Ar-Rabad) built by one of Saladin's generals in 1184 AD to control the iron mines of Ajloun, and to deter the Franks from invading Ajloun. Ajloun FULLITINERARY Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria. It became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who never conquered the castle or the nearby village. Return to Amman. B,L,D. Day 3. Monday. 26 September. Desert castles – Azraq Some of Jordan's desert castles are beautiful examples of both early Islamic art and architecture. They stand testament to a fascinating era in the country's history. Their fine mosaics, frescoes, stone and stucco carvings and illustrations, inspired by the best in Persian and Graeco - Roman traditions, paint a wonderful picture of 8 th century Umayyad life. Called ‘castles’ because of their imposing stature, the desert complexes actually served various purposes as caravan stations, estate centres, pleasure palaces and outposts that helped distant rulers forge ties with local Bedouins. Some of the best preserved compounds are clustered to the east and south of Amman. Today the party will visit Qusair Amra, one of the best preserved monuments, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its interior walls and ceilings are covered with lively frescoes, and two of the rooms are paved with colorful mosaics. Continue on to Qasr Mushatta and Qasr al – Kharraneh. The black basalt fort at Azraq has been in continuous use since Late Roman times and was the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt. Qusair Amra is a UNESCO world heritage site. Later today transfer to Azraq Lodge - a simple but clean and comfortable lodge with good food! B,L,D. Day 4. Tuesday. 27 September. Hamman Assarah / Qasr al-Hallabat / Amman This morning drive the short distant to Qasr Al- Hallabat. En route visit Hammam Al-Sarakh (Al- Sarakh Bath Complex) which is strikingly similar to Qusayr Amra, though its masonry is considered more elegant and its courses are more tightly joined. Its plan, like Amra, consists of 3 principal elements: The Audience Hall, The Bath Complex, and The Hydraulic Structures. The audience-hall roofed by 3 tunnel-vaults resting on the sidewall and two intermediate transverse arches. The north-eastern corner of this hall had a fountain, which received its water from an elevated tank to the east. The bath proper consists of 3 rooms corresponding to the cold, warm, and hot rooms. This monument suffered severe damage in the 1950s, when the building was partially destroyed much of the stone was taken away. The complex of Qasr al-Hallabat is located in Jordan's eastern desert. Originally a Roman fortress constructed under Emperor Caracalla to protect its inhabitants from Bedouin tribes, this site dates to the second and third centuries AD, although there is trace evidence of Nabatean presence at the site. It was one fort of many on the Roman highway, Via Nova Traiana, a route that connected Damascus to ‘Aqaba by way of Petra and ‘Amman. However, in the eighth century, the Umayyad caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik remodelled the fort as another ‘desert castle’ and built an adjoining mosque. Later today return to Amman and [] visit the Citadel, National Museum and Roman Amphitheatre. Due to the city’s modern-day prosperity and temperate climate, almost half of Jordan’s population is concentrated in the Amman area. The residential suburbs consist of mainly tree-lined street and avenues flanked by elegant, almost uniformly white houses, in accordance with a municipal law, which states that all buildings must be faced with local stone. The downtown area is much older and more traditional with smaller businesses producing and selling everything from expensive jewellery to everyday household items. The people of Amman are multi-cultural, multi-denominational, well-educated and extremely hospitable. Overnight at Belle Vue Amman Hotel B,L,D. Day 5. Wednesday. 28 September. Madaba Just 30 kilometers from Amman, along the 5,000-year-old Kings´ Highway, is Madaba, the “City of Mosaics". Best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, Madaba is home to the famous 6 th -century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. With two million pieces of vividly coloured local stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta. 2 The Madaba Mosaic Map covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, which is located northwest of the city centre. The church was built in 1896 AD, over the remains of a much earlier 6th century Byzantine church. The mosaic panel enclosing the Map was originally 94 square meters, only about a quarter of which is preserved. Continue on to Kerak, an important city, and for a time the capital, of the kingdom of Moab. For this reason, the castle is also sometimes known as Krak des Moabites. Kerak Castle was built in 1142 by the Frankish lord of Montreal, Payen the Butler, to whom the territory had been ceded by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem in 1126. The castle was constructed over foundations of earlier citadels dating back to Nabataean times. Under Reynald de Châtillon, Kerak resisted assaults by Saladin's troops in 1183 and 1184, but it finally fell after a siege in 1188. Arab repairs and additions in the white limestone contrast with the Crusader parts built in dark, volcanic tufa. B,L,D. Day 6. Thursday. 29 September. At Tafilah and Karak This morning drive to At-Tafilah also spelled Tafila. This is a town with a population of 39,000 people in southern Jordan, located 183 km (114 mi) southwest of Amman. It is the capital of Tafilah Governorate. It is well known for having green gardens which contain olive and fig trees, and grape- vines. Tafilah was first built by the Edomites and was called Tophel. There are more than 360 natural springs in the at-Tafilah area, including the natural reservoir of Dana and hot natural springs at Afra and Borbeata. Visit the Ottoman Fort built over the site of a Crusader Castle. Continue on to the impressive Crusader Shobak Castle, less than an hour north of Petra. Once called "Mont Real", Shobak dates from the same turbulent period as Kerak. It is perched on the side of a mountain, with a grand sweep of fruit trees below. The castle's exterior is impressive, with a large gate and encircling triple wall. Despite the precautions of its builder, the fortress fell to Saladin only 75 years after it was built and inscriptions by his proud successors appear on the castle wall. Later today transfer to the Petra Panorama Hotel www.petrapanorama.com B,L. Day 7. Friday. 30 September. Petra Enjoy a full day visit to Petra, including Baydha, Al-Wu‘ayra Castle (in the morning) and Siq, Khazna, High Place and al- Habis castle in the afternoon. Overnight at Petra Panorama B,L. 3 Day 8. Saturday. 1 October. Aqaba. This morning drive to Aqaba and visit the early Islamic fortified settlement ( misr ) of Ayla, the museum and the late Mamluk-Ottoman fortified khan. Later transfer to the Double Tree Hotel Aqaba . B,L,D. Day 9. Sunday. 2 October. Jazirat Fara’un Enjoy a full day boat trip and visit to Ayyubid Castle on the island of Jazirat Fara’un (including barbecue and swim in the Red Sea). Return to Aqaba this afternoon. Enjoy a farewell dinner this evening. B,L,D. Day 10. Monday. 3 October. London. Transfer to Aqaba airport to take morning Royal Jordanian flight to Amman and connect with Royal Jordanian flight to London Heathrow arriving mid-afternoon. B. Trip Price : £1860per person includes all flights, all hotel accommodations as described, most meals as listed ( B,L,D ), entrance fees for listed sites and all transportation. As well as Dr Pringle the party will be accompanied by an English speaking guide throughout the visit. The single room supplement is £190 per person. It is not necessary to fly on the intercontinental flights given in this itinerary. For those who wish to extend their stay in Jordan or fly onto other global destinations, please do not hesitate to contact Distant Horizons for more information. Distant Horizons have over fourteen years’ experience of organising scholar led visits to Jordan and other parts of the Middle East for many of the world’s major organisations and societies.