Monday 29 June 2009

Pic of the Week: 29 June - 5 July

Roman Ruins in Jerash, Jordan

Roman Ruins in Jerash, Jordan, Nov 2007


This picture was taken on our first day in Jordan. The tour bus took us to Jerash to see the Roman ruins. It took a while before it dawned on me just how expansive the site was - the scale is not immediately obvious, but it really is like walking around a city (minus a few walls and buildings).


There is a part of me that thinks it is somehow wrong to visit Roman ruins in a distant country like, say, Jordan. We visited places with ties to Romans (Jerash) and Christian crusaders (Kerak) and I couldn't help feeling that we were missing more historical 'Jordanian' places. But on the other hand, it goes to show how far the Roman empire reached. Perhaps I was just disoriented by seeing Jerash first, before Wadi Rum or Petra. And maybe the hilariously surreal bagpipe concert didn't help put it in context, either.





Regardless, Jerash was beautiful once I felt a bit more acclimatized and I'm glad I have pictures like this to bring back the memories.


Click on the photo to see a larger version on flickr.

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