Jerash and Ajloun

Road trip, Jordan style:
Our first stop was at Jerash, a.k.a., the 'Pompeii of the East'.  Jerash is considered to be one of the best preserved and most complete Roman cities in the world. It was a member of the Decapolis group of cities: one of the ten biggest Roman cities. 

The site itself is quite expansive, so our students and I got a workout!  Add into the equation the 96 degree heat.  And the drive to Jerash is quite beautiful, as it lies in a green and fertile valley in the hills of Gilead.  After 90 minutes of walking/hiking around the site, we had lunch and then off to Ajloun.

Ajloun Castle rests on a high peak about 20 minutes drive west of Jerash.  Visible from all directions, the castle was originally built in 1184 by a cousin of the great Arab leader Saladin and was used as a base in his successful campaign to drive the Crusaders from Jordan.

Here we are atop the castle, both groups - "Group One" (NU Dialogue students) and "Group Two" (Project GO students from NU and across the US).


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