A TRIP ROUTE
IT IS WORTH KNOWING
Jabal Musa, or Mount Moses, is a peak 2285 m above sea level in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. Traditionally, it is identified with the biblical Mount Sinai (Horeb), where, according to the Old Testament, Jehovah God gave Moses stone tablets with the Ten Commandments and made a covenant with the nation of Israel. The very act of Moses receiving the tablets with the commandments can be admired in a painting by the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rij. In 2002, the area of Moses Mountain and the Monastery of St. Catherine have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.INTERESTING STORIES
The British adventure drama Lawrence of Arabia is based on TE Lawrence's autobiographical novel Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The film was directed in 1962 by David Lean and starred by Peter O'Toole. The action of the film takes place during World War I and is related to the capture of Damascus and Aqaba in Jordan. Lawrence, a British officer, joins the troops of Emir Faisal, leader of the Arab uprising against the Turks. After traveling through the desert with a small detachment of troops and a successful attack on Fort Aqaba, he gains the status of a hero among both Arabs and English.INTERESTING FACTS
A team of Polish archaeologists led by prof. Kazimierz Michałowski conducted excavations in ancient Palmyra in the years 1959-1973. Work was concentrated in the western part of the city, and exploration was carried out in the area between the Praetorian Gate and the Tetrapylon, on the forum in front of the so-called The Temple of the Banners and inside the Temple itself. The city walls were also examined and a fragment of the Praetorian Road was excavated. The next place was the so-called Valley of the Tombs, where the tombs of Zabda, Alaine and Julius Aurelius Hermes were unveiled. The excavations allowed to determine the urban development of the city and to date the discovered buildings on the basis of epigraphic materials found in them. However, the most spectacular success of Poles was the discovery of the treasure, which consisted of jewelry and 27 gold solids from Phocas, Heraklius and Konstans.IT IS WORTH SEEING
The ruins of Petra served as a film set in the third part of the adventures of the archaeologist Indiana Jones, entitled Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The action of the film takes place around the search for the legendary St. Grail, and the Nazis also follow the trail of a Christian relic. After a series of spectacular chases and duels in Venice, Berlin and the Hatay state, the action shifts to Petra. It is here that the chalice from which Christ drank during the Last Supper is hidden. Indiana finds him, but at the climax, the goblet falls into a crack, and they are all forced to flee the decaying building.May 2007
Choosing a tour around Syria and Jordan, we consciously gave up Israel, postponing visiting this beautiful country for the time of a separate trip. On the other hand, we bought a week-long holiday stay in Sinai , which turned out to be a great move, because despite the spring, high temperatures took a toll on us.
Contrary to popular belief that there is not much to see there, Syria and Jordan have wonderful monuments from the Nabatean, Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Turkish periods, many of which are on the Unesco World Heritage List. As is usually the case with organized events, the time spent on sightseeing is always too short to see everything carefully. Sometimes, even as it was in Kerak Castle, we didn't see much, as we arrived after its closure. Nevertheless, we can talk about happiness, because now, due to the war, a trip to Syria is impossible, and some monuments, such as Krak de Chevaliers or Maaloula, have been seriously damaged.JORDAN
Wadi Rum
We saw the most beautiful desert in Jordan. The entire area of the Wadi Rum valley, lying among granite and sandstone rocks, has been inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. Although we were well aware that the Bedouin camp and the show of everyday life are only a spectacle for tourists, we liked it very much. The rock formations that surround the valley are beautiful, and the view of the night sky full of stars that seem to be at your fingertips is simply stunning.
Petra
Petra was the icing on the cake of our trip to Syria and Jordan. The ruins of the ancient city of Nabataeans, which flourished in ancient times between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD, make a great impression even today. A narrow road among rocks called Al Siq leads to Petra situated in a valley surrounded by mountains . An unforgettable experience was the moment of leaving the ravine, when we saw the majestic Khazneh illuminated by the sun's rays, called by the Bedouins the "Pharaoh's Treasury".
On the way
As in any road trip, bus rides are the least pleasant part of sightseeing. Despite the air conditioning and cold drinks, the heat and stuffiness bother us mercilessly. That is why we longed for the visit to Spa on the Dead Sea like the Israelites of the Promised Land. We were not disappointed, swimming in the sea definitely improved our well-being. The guides did not lie in the Dead Sea, it is actually impossible to drown.
Amman
Despite the centuries-old history, Jordan's capital made a depressing impression on us. Amman is an overcrowded and perpetually crowded behemoth with a bland architecture. The biggest attraction of this place is the Archaeological Museum, which exhibits Petra's relics and some of the famous Dead Sea manuscripts found in the ancient Qumran settlement.
Jerash
Our next stage of the journey was Jerash, probably founded in the 4th century BC by Alexander the Great. This Jordanian city boasts the ruins of one of the world's best-preserved ancient Roman metropolises. We were most impressed by the forest of columns at the Oval Forum and Cardo Maximus, the main street of ancient Jerash, running from north to south.
SYRIA
Bosra and Damascus
Bosra, a World Heritage Site in Syria, enchanted us with a perfectly preserved Roman theater from the 2nd century AD. However, the biggest attraction of the day was visiting Damascus, which is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The Umayyad mosque, located in the capital of Syria , is considered by Arabs to be one of the wonders of the world. In fact, the grandeur and splendor of the decoration of this building from the beginning of the 8th century made an amazing impression on us, as did the delicious Bakdash ice cream.
Krak de Chevaliers
The medieval castle of the crusaders Krak de Chevaliers is another Syrian monument from the Unesco list. White walls contrasting with the lush green of the grasses look delightful when viewed from a distance. Inside the castle it is not so beautiful, because the building was built in the 12th century and it is quite neglected. To make matters worse, so far considered one of the best-preserved medieval fortified castles in the world, it suffered severely as a result of the hostilities in early 2014.
Palmira
Built in the middle of the desert like Las Vegas, ancient Palmira impresses even today with the vastness, diversity and beauty of its stone structures. This is probably why the entire complex has been inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List. The city experienced its glory in the 3rd century during the reign of Empress Zenobia, when it successfully resisted the Roman Empire. During the tour, we came across a historical staging, thanks to which we took a lot of nice photos of soldiers in historical costumes against the background of the ruins of Palmira.
EGIPT - SINAI
Sharm el Sheikh
In Sharm, we rested and recovered our strength after the hardships of sightseeing. Sweet laziness and even sweeter gluttony and drunkenness, all in the all inclusive version. Because no normal person will take such a long time, after a few days of lazing about, we started to think about getting to know the Sinai Peninsula better . The opportunity soon came and we booked trips up and...down.
Coral reef
The biggest attraction of Sinai are the coral reefs, which are considered to be one of the most wonderful diving sites in the world. We decided to go on a trip to Ras Muhammad National Park , buying the option with snorkeling. The variety of shapes and the richness of colors of fish, sponges and corals was simply stunning. Even Martha overcame her fear of water and, with a little help from a young Egyptian, admired the underwater world.
St. Catherine monastery
We climbed Mount Sinai late in the evening to reach the summit at sunrise. I must admit that the inconvenience of the long and cold night was fully compensated by the sight of the rising sun. It was an amazing experience when, cringing from the cold, we saw the first rays breaking over the mountain peaks. The descent itself was a piece of cake, while the Orthodox monastery of St. Catherine, surrounded by red, granite mountains, like the icing on the cake.