The Sands Of Time

From The Ruins Of Jerash To The Sand Dunes Of Wadi Rum, Time Halts Between The Colours And Contours Of Jordan.

- Marie Barbieri

The sun bakes the ancient stone beneath my feet, as my breath is sucked dry by the searing heat. Dust hitchhikes on the breeze, destined for the haze beyond. A chameleon skirts across steps once trudged by civilisations gone – steps that just decades ago lay buried beneath seismic rubble.

Jordan lies in ruins, quite literally. It is no stranger to the Richter scale, fractured by earthquakes that have repeatedly flattened and buried it. Yet this is what makes the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan one of the Middle East’s most fascinating and photogenic spots. I’m with tour guide Mahdi from Experience Jordan, on a customised adventure trip following the traces of the past.

We begin at the Graeco–Roman city of Jerash. Entering Hadrian’s Arch reveals why the second and third centuries were a golden era here. Before us is a 2,000-year-old collection of crumbled churches and sky-high temples, but AD363 and AD749 brought catastrophic earthquakes, destroying much of the city – 60 per cent of which has been excavated.

The Hippodrome was where gladiator fights drew jeers from audiences of up to 17,000, and along the main drag, Cardo Maximus, beneath the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian-style columns, flagstones still bear scars from the charging chariots. Those who built the 3,000-seat South Theatre also left their mark – with their names carved on the seats. I wonder why a bagpiper is on stage before remembering the recent period of British rule.

CITY OF MOSAICS