Travel
Nabataeans couldn't stop the ambitions of the Romans from conquering the region and adding it to their empire in the fifth century. In Amman, Romans built the temple of Hercules on the highest hill. Nowadays, it is called the Citadel. A large part of Amman can be viewed from above there, but the best part is that of the Roman Ampitheatre. The sheer size of it highlights the cultural complexity of Roman life. Yet, this is not the best Roman building in Jordan. Jarash is the grand formal provincial Roman urbanism found in the Middle East. It has colonnaded streets, elegant theaters, temples, and spacious public squares. Don't miss a souvenir picture of Hadrian's Arch at the entrance of the old city. Jarash can be done as a day trip from Amman. Following the Muslims' conquest of the Levant region in the seventh century, Jordan was quiet but a prosperous province during the Ummayad and Abbasid dynasties. When Crusaders made their way to Jerusalem in the early eleventh century, Jordan became the war grounds. Saladin built many castles for his long-term wars against crusaders. Karak castle is one of these that you can visit in Jordan. It is located south of Amman, on the way to Petra. Karak is like all medieval castles, set on top of a hill for military advantage. In Karak, view the valleys in the West and imagine how Saladin awaited the crusaders' army to leave Jerusalem before he beat them in the famous battle of Hittin. 88
Ohlala! I December 2012 I www.ohlala-magazine.com