Ancient Ruins

Last weekend, our study abroad group went on our first series of adventures. Our itinerary on Friday included the ancient Roman city of Jerash and Ajlun castle.

When I was younger I loved reading about Roman civilization and so it was an incredible experience to walk on the same streets that the Romans walked on thousands of years ago. Jerash has been referred to as the "Pompeii of the Middle East" because of its size and preservation. Before going on the tour, our program director bought us all headscarves to help with the intense heat. They actually helped a lot!

Columns at Jerash

Jerash

He played Yankee Doodle!

After lunch we ventured to Ajlun castle, which was built by Saladin's nephew to defend against the Crusader attacks. The tour guide there was very informative and pointed out various historical elements of the surrounding region as well. My favorite part was going up to the top of the castle. From there, we could see into parts of Syria and Palestine.

                 

                          Me and Palestine

Me and Syria

On the way back from these ruins, we had to chance to drive near a Palestinian refugee camp. Having taken a course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I was very interested in seeing one of the camps I had heard so much about. It was definitely a sobering experience. In Amman, I have met several Palestinians who have bad impressions of U.S. policy because their plight has largely been ignored. In the U.S., we seem to automatically side with our Israeli allies without taking into account the other side of the issue. 

Palestinian Refugee Camp

This visit has deepened my interest in the Israeli-Palestinian issue and I hope to be able to study it further both here and when I return to the U.S. 

Catherine A.