Every Nook and Cranny: Book 2

By Faye Day

Every Nook and Cranny is a series of autobiographical travel guides touching on every continent, most countries and hundreds of islands.

Travel with the author through steamy jungles and bird-filled tropical rainforest to scorching deserts and the wilderness of Arctic regions; from Stone Age tribes to the sophistication of the worlds most modern cities. Explore the ancient civilisations and participate in amazing wildlife encounters.

The authors personal experiences are related together with some historical fact, many interesting stories, adventurous episodes and several amusing anecdotes. In depth descriptive passages are illustrated with hundreds of photographs which will enable readers to visualise and fully appreciate the text.

The best of every destination is revealed, along with suggestions on how to approach them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Dec 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524515751

Faye Day

I wrote the books in response to many requests – and so that I could remember what I have done! At the age of 79 I am still backpacking and hope my stories prove an inspiration to others. Having been born and lived all my life in Australia, I have travelled it extensively, but it will come as a finale to my last book.

Book preview

Copyright © 2017 by Faye Day.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016912736

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-5245-1578-2

             Softcover    978-1-5245-1577-5

             eBook         978-1-5245-1575-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 02/13/2018

Xlibris

1-800-455-039

www.Xlibris.com.au

649961

Dedication

To my dear friend Sylvia for her help with punctuation and her patience.

Pictures on the cover are:

Market Scene Luxor Egypt

El Kasr Western Desert Egypt

King Penguin South Georgia

Ramses firing his bow and arrow Abu Simbel Egypt

Chefchaouen Morocco

Monastery Petra Jordan

Butchart Gardens Vancouver Island Canada

Spirit Island Maligne Lake Alberta Canada

Egyptian Relief with Sobek Abu Simbel Egypt

Contents

MIDDLE EAST 1995

CANADA, ALASKA & the UNITED STATES 1996

EGYPT, TUNISIA & ENGLAND 1997

BALI 1998

ANTARCTICA 1998

WEST AFRICA 1999

MIDDLE EAST 1995

The absorbing history of Jordan and Syria is one of invasion and conquest beginning with the Amorites and Canaanites in 3000 BC. Then came the powerful ruler of Mesopotamia, the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites, Philistines, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Crusaders, and even the French and British, as narrated in the romanticised sagas of T. E. Lawrence. It is a documentary inexorably linked with Biblical accounts of fluctuating fortunes and features identities such as Saul, David, Solomon, Alexander the Great, Herod, Mark Antony, Hadrian and Saladin to name a few.

The spelling of names and places varies because they are phonetic interpretations of the Arabic.

The Middle East, Cradle of Civilisation, was truly an adventure when I first tackled it because for the most part they received few tourists, and I was given disquieting warnings about Syria before I left, such as stoning if I did not wear gloves – this from a United Nations acquaintance! However, the reality was a totally different story because I found the people charming and hospitable. An example of this was demonstrated one day when sitting in the back on a bumpy bus ride in Jordan. A group of young women, all dressed in identical long-sleeved gowns and head covering (but of different colours), had made room for me and plied me, in rudimentary English, with questions. Armed with tubes of paint, throughout the jolting journey one was attempting to create something in a small container but refused to show me her endeavours. They were university students returning home, and all alighting at the same destination, the ‘artist’ took me under her wing and attempted to find me accommodation with a family. This turning out to be not particularly suitable, I elected to stay at the one very basic hotel. Next morning, at the same bus stop, we met up again and my new-found friend presented me with her efforts of the day before: a pretty pink plastic pill box that she had inscribed in gold with hearts and the words ‘you are nice’! I treasure it to this day.

JORDAN

Jerash

My first stop was Amman in Jordan built, like Rome, on seven hills ( jebels ) and from where I proceeded to the Middle East’s best Roman site, Jerash , also described in some detail in a later chapter. I entered through the Triumphal Arch created in AD 129 to honour the arrival of Emperor Hadrian, which still had a little decoration evident.

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Triumphal Arch

In its heyday it was estimated that the city had a population of 15,000, but when I visited there was barely a handful of people present. Although not on a trade route, its citizens prospered from the excellent land for growing corn. I continued to the first- to second-century paved Oval Plaza with its central column and made my way to the second-century Cardo Maximus, the long main street lined with Corinthian columns and paved with the original large slabs.

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colonnaded street

One of the most well-preserved Roman cities, there still remained a profusion of broken columns lying around, and a niche in an enormous stone block was enhanced with a single flower each side. The Temple of Artemis (goddess of hunting and patron goddess of the city) stood, as it did on my subsequent visit, guarded by isolated pillars soaring against an azure sky.

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Temple of Artemis

I entered the North Theatre (AD 165) and then climbed to the top of the steep flight of Cathedral steps for an overview of the ‘modern’ town of Jerash, which lay on the opposite side of a small tributary of the Zarqa River. Next, I arrived at the columned semicircular façade of the Temple of Dionysus with the Nymphaeum (fountain, AD 191) in front.

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Temple of Dionysus

A small section of the surviving stonework was graced with detailed carving of vines, leaves and grapes. Within the city walls have been found Bronze and Iron Age remains and those of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Omayyad and Abbasid periods, indicating occupation of the location as far back as 2,500 years, but up to 1995 only 10% of the site had been excavated. I went through Hadrian’s Arch at the opposite end for more city vistas, which included an aqueduct or bridge and a stone minaret.

Back in the bustle of surrounding streets, I found a fascinating tea or coffee seller, a big brass samovar (urn) decorated with colourful plastic flowers strapped to his back, which he had to bend in order to pour the steaming liquid from the long spout.

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Tea or coffee anyone?

Amongst the market stalls, one could not miss the obtrusive and incongruous Pepsi and Coca-Cola signs attached to ancient walls!

Ajlun

From Jerash, I headed to Ajlun Castle ( Qala’at ar-Rabad , 1184), built by the Arabs as protection against the Crusaders and used as a base by Saladin in his successful campaign to drive them from Jordan in 1189. It was one of a chain of beacons and pigeon posts that enabled messages to be transmitted from Cairo to Damascus in a single day. Except for a few thick walls with arrow slits, steps mounting the sides, and arched entries, nothing much remained, and it was a taxing uphill walk, but the panorama over the Jordan Valley was spectacular.

The town itself consisted of typical Arab streets: a mosque with a tall thin minaret, street vendors, men in white robes and the traditional red and white checked keffiyeh (scarf) held in place by an aagal (double loop of black camel hair), and bakers placing dough, flattened into large rounds by hand, into a fiery oven by means of a long-handled paddle.

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baker

Fruits and vegetables were displayed in trays on the pavement, a man was cutting the throats of chickens, and clothing was arrayed on the roadside, past which a man led a donkey kicking up clouds of dust!

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greengrocer

Amman

Back in Amman , I saw the large blue and white King Abdullah Mosque , which was very near my accommodation at the basic but cheap Caravan Hotel. Apparently, it was where the royal family worshipped, and in fact, at the end of my stay, there was a big celebration for his birthday attended by King Hussein, a descendant of the Prophet’s line. I watched it on t elevision and, near the conclusion, went down into the street where I obtained photographs of this popular monarch, although most people had been cleared from the sidewalk by police and were sequestered behind their locked doors, which I found strange and slightly unnerving. In the city centre, a Theatre built AD 169–77 during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (a second reference said Antoninus Pius, AD 138–61), was fronted by a row of poplars, a scarce commodity in Jordan. I actually came across a funny sight on one occasion: family groups picnicking right beside the busy King’s Highway because it was one of the few places with trees!

The Desert Castles

I hired a car and guide for a day tour to some of Jordan’s many seventh- and eighth-century castles, most built or adapted as fortresses, hunting lodges, pleasure palaces and watch posts by the Omayyad caliphs. We drove past rows of butcher shops where carcasses, some still retaining their heads, hung in the open, and surprisingly, even though it was hot, there were no flies.

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butcher

Unlike most such fortifications, usually located on hilltop sites, these were in flat stony desert terrain. First was Qasr Kharraneth (al-Kharanah), its high walls, with only tiny openings, reinforced at corners and sides by solid columns built of rock. Inside, its crumbling walls and arches were unadorned except for five round motifs. The second, Qusayr (little castle) al-Amra, possibly predated the Omayyads. It served as a caravanserai with baths and a hunting lodge and was a low stone structure with a dome and a series of vaulted roofs in the epitome of a desert setting.

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Qusayr al-Amra

However, this was no preparation for what was to confront me within: its walls and ceilings were covered with coloured frescoes. Two large faded murals depicted buildings and near-naked figures in extraordinary battle scenes, one below a frieze of birds. Other images included a tree, figures, indistinct faces, urns, large birds, and floral designs. A series of pictures on a vaulted ceiling portrayed workers and two camels (one walking, one sitting); a river of rich blue ran through the individual frames, which obviously told a story but they were not clear.

Animals resembling dogs and deer raced across the wall above one of the combat scenes, with what appeared to be flags separating the two subjects. Other pitted and peeling pictures were too difficult to interpret. The dome of the caldarium (hot room) was covered in zodiac signs.

In the vicinity of the castle, we were invited by Bedouin to sit with them in their open-fronted hessian tent. Cushions were distributed around the interior, and in the centre of the floor, a hearth created with rocks was filled with flames and smoking coals, over which stood a blackened kettle and teapot; a mortar and pestle were placed to one side. A donkey was tethered in front.

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Bedouin tent

Leaving here, we passed a lone shepherd, his flock and donkey eking out a meagre meal from sparse growth at the side of the one road which ran through this desolate empty terrain.

The third and final castle was 13th-century Qala’at al-a; larger but in no better condition, it was surrounded by rubble and palm trees. However, with its arches and a ceiling composed of rocks overlaying huge basalt beams, the interior provided an interesting insight into the construction. Gaping gaps in the ceiling allowed sunlight to filter through, forming striations on walls that had long stone struts projecting over the top. Originally three storeys high, this amazing structure was built of unshaped rock in a jumble of varying sizes from small pieces to boulders, fitted together without mortar – incredible when one pondered how it had withstood the test of time. Even more astounding was the massive lintel and pivoting door, about 12 inches thick, which was formed from one immense slab of basalt.

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massive basalt door

This black basalt fortress, originally built by Roman legionnaires in AD 300, was used as headquarters by Lawrence of Arabia, who described it as ‘magically haunted’. Its demise was sealed by an earthquake in 1927. A visiting family group requested me to take their photograph, for which they were very grateful, but I do not know if they realised that I could not make a copy from the video.

More carcasses hung outside a shop selling tasty-looking kebabs grilled over leaping flames and stuffed into the flat pita bread; one of the swarthy smiling-faced men in a white robe and traditional headgear showed a sense of humour when he mimicked me taking movies.

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shish kebab stall

We passed another shepherd on a bare plain, with black sheep amongst those turned a dirty brown by the arid surrounds. A graphic contrast in conditions was illustrated by a four-storey many-roomed white mansion in the distance and a Bedouin tent in the foreground.

Madaba and Mount Nebo

I continued on to Madaba and Mount Nebo, both of which are dealt with in a later chapter. The marvellous mosaic in Madaba’s Church of St George, depicting a map of Palestine showing ancient Moab, Nablus (site of Jacob’s Well), Hebron, Jericho and Jerusalem, and which included the Nile (even to fish), boats, and a horned animal, completely overshadowed the crystal chandeliers and painting of Christ in a half dome above the pale blue and white iconostasis.

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famed floor mosaic

The panorama from Mount Nebo revealed a forbidding desolate-looking Promised Land, and the nearby baptistery of the Church of Sts Lot and Procopius also contained a wonderful mosaic, featuring horned animals beneath a date palm. This is described more fully in the 1997 chapter.

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beautiful mosaic

SYRIA

Syria, between the Mediterranean Sea and Euphrates River , was the ancient battleground of Phoenicians, Greeks, Persians and Romans, as reflected in its Crusader castles. The diverse history since Biblical times was illustrated by Greco-Roman temples, ruins of Byzantine towns, and Turkish mosques. Geographically, it displayed a marked variance in environment and terrain: from scorching deserts to snow-capped mountains.

Bosra

From Jordan, I crossed to Bosra ( Bashan of the Bible) in Syria , a feat which gave me much satisfaction because unhelpful locals had told me that it was not possible to do so by public transport. I managed it via share taxi and bus through Der’a , and even made it on to Damascus in the late afternoon of that same day after also being told that I would be stranded in Bosra. I faced a long delay at the border when the car that I had initially set out in, a private vehicle in which a lift had been arranged (for a fee), suffered engine trouble and had to return. I was forced to wait at immigration for transport, and because there were no more public buses due that day, I asked every driver for a ride until finally accepted by a Lebanese group returning home after a bus tour.

The ancient town of Bosra was famed for the best Roman Theatre in existence, which was actually fortified to create a Citadel; mighty walls built around the theatre formed an impregnable stronghold. At a later date, a moat was constructed and a five-span stone bridge erected, by which it was still accessed. Unusual inasmuch as it was free-standing rather than built into the side of a hill, it was constructed of black basalt, as were many of the town’s structures, in the early second century. The paved area around the perimeter housed fragments of statuary, carved stone, a rock embossed with a crude rendition of a lion, and remains of a single spiral pillar. One wall held illustrations depicting a man leading a string of camels, animals again resembling dogs or leaping deer, and figures picking dates from small palms beside disproportionately large birds. When viewed from the ground, the tiers of the enormous 15,000-seat theatre climbed steeply to an incomplete circle of pillars outlined against a clear blue sky; Corinthian columns backed the stage, and minimal floral decoration remained on a stone block at one end of the top row of seating. Behind the stage, niches high on the walls possibly once accommodated statues. Supported by heavy corbelled arches, the ceiling below the arena had holes to provide lighting, which cast perfect circles onto the floor.

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Roman theatre

Many other ruins, some overgrown, were scattered around town, one of which I filmed framed by a free-standing doorway with an immense stone lintel, and blocks of stone and columns littered open spaces. Dressed all in white, an elderly shopkeeper oversaw shelves stocked with clothing and goods in glass jars, and women walked by with loads balanced on their heads. The flat-roofed houses were barely better than the ancient remains; in fact, many were constructed from pilfered stones! A figure was engaged in some activity on one of the roofs, and a young boy invited me to his home where his family (probably mother, father and grandfather but they did not speak English) sat or lounged on pillows on the floor, a tea tray in front and a samovar on a small stove to one side. The whitewashed walls were adorned with a few pictures cut from magazines, framed photographs, and oddments on string. There was a bare light bulb hanging from the centre of the ceiling, a green cupboard, rolled bedding in a niche, rugs and colourful cushions. Outdoors, washing flapped on a line, flowers grew next to a stone-built oven with a smoky fire burning underneath, donkeys stood in the shade of a tree, and branches for fuel were piled against a stone wall. The lad told me that he had a sister, so I gave him a woollen skirt in exchange for a set of postcards.

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the yard

Dirty dusty streets revealed a rudimentary stall under a makeshift awning against an ancient façade, palm trees, a low tower, a partially whitewashed exterior with a bright blue door, and rugs slung over a wall.

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rustic shop

Handcrafts such as metal dishes and woven containers were displayed on the road (there were no footpaths), and the small post office had a jumble of goods out front, together with a high pile of sacks filled with what I assumed to be grain.

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living history

The impressive third-century Bab al-Qandil (Gate of the Lantern) stood on the main street, and the Bab al-Haoua (Gate of the Wind) at one end. Between the two, a long paved and once colonnaded avenue, its pillars now mostly tumbled, featured the remains of a carved architrave crowning towering fancy-topped columns. Others stood like questing fingers reaching for the sky, and I climbed on top of a wall for an overview of the avenue and a grass-covered domed roof.

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ancient street

I saw only one car, and a boy came galloping up on a donkey with a cheery ‘Good evening’ – in the middle of the day! Even comparatively new buildings incorporated remnants from the various sites.

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a very old town

It was interesting to note that in Bosra, according to tradition, Muhammad encountered the Nestorian monk, Boheira, who foretold of his future vocation as a prophet. At one time, it was also the main city of the Roman province of Arabia, but now little more than a large unkempt village.

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the town centre

Damascus

Described in the quote ‘As old as history itself’, the name Damascus was attributed to several myths. Some scholars relate it to Damaskos, son of Hermes, others to the fable of Askos or that of Damas, who accompanied Dionysus and offered him a skene (skin), thus Damaskene. Yet others believe the name came from Damakina, wife of the god of water.

After securing a room, I took an orientation stroll in walled Damascus, reputedly the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. Going back 7,000 years, it was in fact even mentioned in Genesis! Huge bunches of oranges, apples and bananas hung outside stands selling fresh fruit juices, and vendors shaved slices from dozens of layers of meat threaded onto rotisseries.

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carving the kebab

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fruits and the mosque

I found all this activity opposite the black and white many-domed Omayyad Mosque (AD 705) with three minarets, which had the distinction of being the first to be visited by a pope – John Paul II in 2001. The site had an interesting history dating back to the ninth century BC when Aramaeans built a temple to their god Hadad, mentioned in the Book of Kings in the Old Testament. The Romans followed this with their Temple of Jupiter in AD 3, and in the fourth century it was converted to a church named after St John the Baptist; it is believed that his head is buried here in the now reconstructed Muslim mosque. Surrounded on three sides by riwaq (arcades), the marble floor of the sahn (central courtyard) held a domed octagonal treasury once used to keep public funds safe from thieves, its fine mosaic work created from gilded and coloured glass. The modest red-domed Mausoleum of Salah ad-Din reposed in a small garden outside the mosque. The marble floor of the enormous Sahat al Salah (Prayer Hall, 130m × 35m) was covered with oriental rugs. In the city, I found other buildings enhanced with the black-and-white arched windows or horizontal bands, an effect achieved by the use of black basalt and white limestone in alternating layers.

Returning in the evening, when the still busy streets, arcades and minarets were brightly lit, I went inside the mosque. In the vestibule, lights hung from a green ceiling richly decorated with traditional designs and trees, but except for huge chandeliers and the customary columns, the inner sanctum was very plain. Birds fluttered under a vaulted section supported by tall pillars. The massive heavy doors, with large metal bosses, were directly opposite the Souq al-Hamidiyeh, at the end of which the illuminated western gate of the Temple of Jupiter was starkly etched on a black velvet sky. These two enormous Corinthian columns supporting a decorated lintel were all that remained of the temple. Against the background of a constant chorus of horns, a man was pressing finely chopped meat onto long skewers by hand and transferring them to a hotplate over a fire fanned by a co-worker.

Next morning, I observed the same activities by daylight and, continuing my investigations, found a series of small shops selling everything from fabrics and clothing to metal sieves, which hung with other items under a canopy over the pavement; the upper floor of one store was just an empty roofless shell. I discovered a most fascinating shop with a turtle carapace suspended overhead and unidentifiable substances in embossed metal boxes, round copper containers, large tin cans, jars and packets. I saw lengths of threaded nuts or seeds, shells, sponges and corals, dried matter, powders, roots, and creatures that looked like baby crocodiles in a bottle! I noticed old street lamps, a boy trundling a handcart, and sacks of grain, spices, nuts and dried fruits.

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typical scene

The carved façade of the black, white and pink striped Al-Azem Palace, with both round and arched windows, had an arched colonnade opening onto a courtyard with a fountain in the centre of a lily pond. Facing a second courtyard, a lofty eyvan (large vaulted or domed recess opening to a patio) contained a brass lantern, tall vases in niches, and a large mirror reflecting men and women relaxing therein. It was fronted by a pond with plants in the water and trees on one side. Built in 1749, the interior of the palace featured a room with intricately carved woodwork and marble, a decorated ceiling, cornices with Arabic script, and painted beams. A second ceiling combined floral and traditional patterns, and in places the black, white and pink banding continued inside. One room contained a display of blue plates mounted on a wall, carved chairs, an urn, and a mirrored cabinet containing glass and pottery pieces. Other interesting features included inlaid marble, unusual chandeliers, a carved cornice, and embossed doors exhibiting a high sheen.

Returning to the street, I found a bakery selling fresh biscuits and a coffee seller wearing a fez; brass ornamentation dangled from his long-necked vessel. Even though a big bustling metropolis, there were still bicycles and horse-drawn carts.

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pouring coffee

Damascus was an important trading centre under the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans and Byzantine Christians. The earliest conquerors were the Egyptians in the 15th century BC, and it became the capital of an Armenian kingdom in the time of Solomon (940 BC). It then came under the yoke of King David of Israel, the Assyrians in 732 BC, Nebuchadnezzar (c. 600 BC), and the Persians in 530 BC. In 333 BC it fell to Alexander the Great and in 85 BC was occupied by the Nabataeans from Petra, who were ousted by the Romans. It was here that Saul of Tarsus was converted to Christianity and became St Paul the Apostle. Ruled by the Omayyad Caliphs in the seventh and eighth centuries, it became the capital of an empire reaching to the Indus River in present day Pakistan. Following the decline and fall of the Omayyads in 749, Damascus was ruled by obsolete powers such as the Abbassid, Tolonian, Ikhshidian, Fatemite, Ayyoubite and Mamluk. It underwent stages of prosperity and neglect, evidence of which was reflected in its streets today. In the 12th century, Saladin used it as his base to fight the Crusaders, and in 1400 it was sacked by the Mongols, led by Tamerlane, after which it was virtually abandoned for 50 years until taken over by the Ottoman Turks, when it endured centuries of neglect and inept government.

Maaloula

I took a 45km side trip to one of the most photogenic towns in the Middle East, Maaloula. Clinging precariously to the slopes of the bare Al-Qalamoun Mountains, at an altitude of 1, 625m in the foothills of the Anti Lebanon Range, the prominent blue dome and squat tower of the fourth-century Mar Sarkis (St Sergius) Monastery lay at its centre.

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Maaloula

Mostly inhabited by a Greek Orthodox population, Aramaic, a dialect dating from the first millennium BC and the language spoken by Jesus, was still used here. Blue or white flat-roofed houses were cradled in crevices below dun-coloured tors with aprons of green and the blue canopy of the sky overhead. Wandering the maze of narrow stepped alleys, I was struck by dwellings built close together and almost on top of each other.

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a veritable warren

Little lanes wound between high stone walls and under vaults, rustic ladders leant against the sides of buildings, and a few struggling shrubs were evident in tins on any available space. One row lined the roof of a room constructed above one of the many arches braced by heavy log beams that spanned alleys.

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a very old town

Decorated doors were recessed into stone or whitewashed stuccoed walls (even some streets were whitewashed!), and there were several towers and domes topped with crosses in this Christian community.

One of the first things that I saw was a man on a donkey, its load suspended each side like panniers, which climbed steps and disappeared into a dark alley barely wide enough to contain it.

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barely wide enough for a donkey

A lone child climbed towards me up a steep paved path with remains of columns on one side and a tall slender minaret in the background, and a man sat astride his donkey whilst conversing with a friend on the footpath. Flicking tails and ears, others of these beasts of burden stood patiently.

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old streets and old transport

I entered two stone churches, the first with a carved partition in front of the iconostasis and elaborate metal and crystal chandeliers. Although the principle was the same, the composition of the iconostases differed in these countries (refer Latvia in chapter on Eastern Europe), this one containing a Crucifixion scene above a row of apostles or saints and, below, other religious topics including an icon of martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. Two candlesticks and a crucifix on a bare marble slab mounted on stone, a picture of haloed images on horseback adorning the wall above, and taller candlesticks occupying its stepped perimeter were all that stood beneath the corbelled dome of a chapel. In complete contrast, an elaborate crystal chandelier hung from the unadorned stone. Also very simple was a second side altar within plain stone walls. A single white cross was apparent high up on a mountainside.

Negotiating steps, twists and turns with doorways at different levels, I finally reached the top of the village for a magnificent panorama of houses tumbling down the hill at my feet, a green valley, and brown mountains in the distance. The second stone church, peeping from behind leafy branches, featured white walls with paintings in spandrels, crystal chandeliers, and an iconostasis. There were little wrought-iron balconies and I saw a couple of cats, but all was not picturesque: it was dirty, rubble lay in many places, and exposed wiring was common.

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note the wiring – it beggars belief

Always the domineering mountains loomed overhead, and even in this isolated location, children had learnt to say ‘pen, pen’ in request for that writing implement.

On the return to Damascus, we stopped at the monstrous Sednaya Convent accessed via a steep double staircase. A huge celebration was in progress: smartly dressed men were in black suits, ladies in elaborate lace, frills and hats, and a small boy in a jacket and red bow tie. On my customary evening stroll, I came across another coffee seller bowing to dispense his wares, brightly lit shops, and more food preparation.

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yet another drink seller

Palmyra

Next day, I left for Palmyra (City of Palms), another of the world’s great archaeological venues. Settled since the Palaeolithic age and then by Canaanites and Aramaeans, it was for hundreds of years the most important commercial centre between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. Although not as comprehensive as some, the site projected the best atmosphere, being located in the ultimate desert setting – nothing but sand and stones for almost 200km in every direction! It owed its existence to a spring with clear blue, slightly sulphurous water believed to have medicinal properties and which fed an oasis with olives, date palms, cotton and cereals.

In the centre of the Syrian Desert, Palmyra became an Assyrian staging post and accrued wealth from tolls levied on caravans taking the old Silk Route from China and India to Europe and crossing the Tigris in Babylon. Then known as Tadmor (City of Dates), it was mentioned on tablets dating back to the 19th century BC. Two hundred years of glory under the Greeks followed. It was visited by Emperor Hadrian in AD 129, after which it was annexed by Rome in AD 217. During this period, it expanded and achieved prosperity with spices, perfumes, ivory and silk coming from the East, glassware and statues from Phoenicia. In the third century, hostility between Rome and Persia caused a slackening of trade, and Palmyra became a kingdom ruled eventually, in AD 267 after the suspicious death of her husband, by the ambitious half-Greek half-Arab Queen Zenobia. Claiming to be descended from Cleopatra, she ultimately took possession of Syria, conquered Lower Egypt, and sent armies as far as the Bosphorus, even challenging the might of imperial Rome. Ultimately succumbing in AD 273 to Roman emperor Aurelian, whose brutal troops slaughtered the residents and set the city to the torch, Palmyra gradually fell into decline as Aleppo and Damascus became more important. It succumbed to the Muslims in AD 634 and was finally destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 1089, passing into legend until rediscovered in 1678.

On a hilltop overlooking the site was the 17th-century Arab Castle (Qala’at ibn Maan), also visible above the drab dusty desert streets of the dreary town, where the only things of interest were a cobbler, fruit stalls, a donkey cart, and the Museum. This exhibited beautiful sculptures saved from public buildings: a reclining figure, a selection of heads, and works depicting everyday life, including the production of turpentine used by Egyptians in the mummification of their dead.

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another shabby town

My first visit was to ancient underground tombs indicated on the surface of this spread-out area by the funerary Towers of Yemliko. Created to inter family bodies over many years, they had grooved niches to receive layered caskets, and the first contained carving in the form of heads and torsos, pilasters with ornate capitals, images on a coffered stone ceiling, a reclining figure, decorative pediments, and one headless statue.

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tomb interior

A more decorated tomb, the Hypogeum of the Three Brothers, exhibited carved lintels on the exterior and an interior, in better condition, with images lining a carved balustrade, a vaulted ceiling, a headless reclining figure, dimly lit paintings, and accommodation for slaves.

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Hypogeum of the Three Brothers

The actual site, referred to as a City of One Thousand Columns, had a Great Colonnade stretching more than 1,000m, its extremely tall columns crowned with Corinthian capitals, some of which still supported carved architraves; consoles halfway up once held statues of public identities.

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Great Colonnade

Silhouetted later by the setting sun, this looked stunning, and the rows of columns would have been very impressive with each bracket holding an image. Solid walls were constructed with large blocks of stone that appeared to be laid without mortar. The most significant structure, dating back to AD32, was the massive Temple of Bel, a Babylonian god equivalent to Zeus and the most important in Palmyra. Bordered in part by plain-topped fluted pillars, it had a gigantic free-standing gateway in front.

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Temple of Bel

Inside, a mammoth cracked stone bore images in relief, and a large room had steps leading to a small antechamber with niches either side.

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inside the temple

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temple in the glow of evening

The yellow walls of the ancient city blended perfectly with the monochrome colour of the monotonous sandy wastes and took on a golden glow in the late afternoon sunshine. This was highlighted to even greater effect against a deep blue sky, also apparent through empty windows of roofless buildings. The castle, which covered the top of a distant hill, looked stunning framed by gaps in walls, as a backdrop to buildings, and through arches and the colonnade.

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triumphal arch with the castle in the background

The site was littered with stones and broken pillars. The Monumental Arch made a striking picture with rays of the sun deflected off the stone and camels sitting in the foreground.

A small group of us were driven to the Arab castle for a tremendous overview of the tombs, the ancient city, and a solitary patch of green at an oasis beyond; there was not one blade of grass to be found elsewhere! Back at the site, I obtained outstanding film of black silhouetted pillars superimposed on a brilliant orange sunset. Apart from a few locals, I was the last to leave this peaceful place with its serene aura but returned in the first pale pink and blue light of early morning to see the Theatre. Similar in style to that at Bosra but not the seating capacity, the stage had an impressive carved pediment and heavy entablatures atop tall white columns.

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theatre

At this hour, it was possible to obtain magical film. My favourite footage is of two isolated columns viewed through a gateway, with the sound of the muezzin calling to prayer in the background.

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early morning light

Final glimpses were of broad and narrow pillars, beautiful capitals, and a paved area where I found a block of stone bearing a sculpted head and torso. This amazing venue had absolutely no other tourists late in the day and early morning – an enormous advantage.

In Palmyra, there was really only one place to stay, the Citadel Hotel, but it was acceptable.

Hama

I moved on to Hama with its famous Roman waterwheels. My first pictures were of three of these massive, still functioning ancient wheels and a bi-level multi-arched stone aqueduct, all perfectly mirrored in a quiet stretch of water surrounded by greenery – what a contrast to the previous two days!

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waterwheels

There were 16 of these wooden machines, called norias, on the banks of the brown Orontes River, the largest 21m in diameter, and they once provided water to the people and plants of the city. Although no longer serving this purpose, they still turned with a mournful creaking sound. Crevices in the high stone aqueducts supplied footholds for greenery, and lichen added colour to their old arches. In one of the extremely narrow lanes of the neat town, enclosed overhead balconies almost extended to plants trailing over the top of a looming stone wall opposite.

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typical balconies

Spanning a street, more greenery adhered to an arch through which I filmed a dome and recorded the sound of an imam. A lovely landscaped park in the city centre had been built on the site of a sixth millennium BC citadel, now no longer in existence. It consisted of a pool with bubbling fountains, a winding waterway amongst gardens, and an aqueduct, but away from the township and water’s edge, the country was still dry and barren, the colourless houses appearing like the surrounding stone from which they were constructed and the occasional minaret rearing above. However, the usual traders’ wares made interesting pictures: sacks of condiments and other culinary requirements, chickens and lamb on rotisseries, and beautiful ripe tomatoes that, as I have commented before, were picked at the optimum time in less industrialised countries and consequently the best that I have ever tasted.

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rotisserie chicken and spices

Inhabited since the fourth millennium BC, Hama yielded in succession to the Akkads, Somers (until the end of the 22nd century BC), Amorites, Babylonians, Hittites, Persians, and Greeks. The Hellenistic and Seleucid eras were followed by the Romans, and finally Byzantine rule and the Arabs (AD 638). It was an important trading centre during the reigns of David and Solomon (1000 to 922 BC).

Krak des Chevaliers

I left Hama for the legendary 830-year-old hilltop fortress of Qala’at al-Hosn or Krak des Chevaliers (Castle of the Knights) 60km west of Homs. Occupying the site of earlier Muslim fortifications, its history dates back to the Stone Age. First constructed in 1031 by the Emir of Aleppo, it was reconstructed by the Knights Hospitaller in 1142 and served as their headquarters during the Crusades. Seen from the bus as I approached, it dominated the unkempt straggling town of Hosn below. A combination of solid blocks and myriad smaller stones, which also formed vaulted ceilings, this stoutest of all Crusader castles was surrounded by impregnable ramparts and 13 round towers with small windows. It was described by T. E. Lawrence as perhaps the best preserved and most wholly admirable castle in the world and by author Paul Theroux as the epitome of the dream castles of childhood fantasies, of jousts, armour and pennants.

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Krak des Chevaliers

The stronghold, of which I was given a private tour, consisted of outer and inner walls separated by a water-filled moat originally used to fill baths and water the horses. The outer wall, with greenery sprouting from cracks, contained an ancient stone drinking fountain in an arched recess. The vast interior was a maze of rooms and corridors with stone floors and vaulted ceilings.

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vaulted corridor

Holes overhead provided light to a wide tunnel-like passageway, and there was a round room with arched doorways. The latter, its original ceiling laid in concentric circles, was built by Arabs when they took over the fort in 1271. They had no cement but developed mortar by mixing powder from cut stones with olive oil. The castle was never breached, but surrounded by the armies of Islam and with no hope of reprieve, the Crusaders agreed to vacate their fortress in return for safe conduct. Another small round room, again with openings in the ceiling, had an immense hexagonal central pillar inscribed with the name of Allah and writing from the Koran. The word Qur’an, meaning recitation in Arabic, was mentioned in the revelations of Mohammed as recorded by his scribes. The Tower of the Daughter of the King had been converted into a café. Concealed in its façade was a gallery where rocks used to be hurled at assailants; nowadays, the only danger comes from garbage tossed from the kitchen!

Wonderful vistas of the village were obtained from the roof. Known by same name (Hosn), the townsite was formed when people living in the castle were transferred there by the French in 1976. Along the length of a corridor facing the courtyard, open circles in the apex of arches, some with floral inserts, were supported by slender pillars. Viewed from inside, additional stonework was visible through these round openings – like eyes of the castle to a world beyond.

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arched corridor

A single shaft of sunlight entering through a hole in the roof made an interesting picture, and a series of round stone excavations in a cellar were used in the production of wine or oil. Supported by columns with fancy capitals, a series of delicate arches enhanced a corridor, its vaulted ceiling braced by stone struts bearing bosses.

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vaulted ceiling

Grapevines, a symbol of wine, appeared at the ends of the struts.

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grapevines

Other ornamentation included a faint shield and an inscription from Crusader times. A set of steps, overgrown with weeds and supported from beneath by arches, gave access to upper floors.

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overgrown steps

Being a later addition, they obstructed the door of the chapel, which had been converted to a mosque after the Muslim conquest and still contained a stone minbar (pulpit) and mihrab: a niche in the wall indicating the direction of Mecca. My guide sang a few bars, and the acoustics were wonderful. There were sculpted flowers above a door and indistinct remains of painting.

In ancient times, Homs (built 2400 BC) was known as Emesa, and Julia Domna, wife of Septimus Serverus, with whom I was to become familiar on a tour of Libya years later, came from here. It was also where Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, who became emperor of Rome, was born and where the troops of the ambitious queen of Palmyra, Zenobia, were defeated by Aurelian. Homs Um al-Zunnar, one of the world’s most ancient churches, built underground in AD 59 for fear of pagan Rome, contained a holy relic of the belt of Virgin Mary.

Bus rides in Third World countries were always an experience, and this one was no exception. Packed with people sitting wherever they could find space, blaring music blasted forth, dangling ornaments including a rosary cluttered the cab, and plastic flowers lined the roof.

Tartus

I spent the night at Tartus, where there was not much to see. The 12th-century stone Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa was a sombre fortress-like Crusader construction conceived with the idea of defence. A Venetian-inspired building featured semicircular balconies, and a windmill was located atop a square structure, below the walls of which people were dining in the street.

Arwad

Next day, opting for a complete change of pace, I caught a ferry to the island of Arwad . Never was I more disappointed; the guide book gave it a favourable critique, and I was anticipating a paradise like the Greek Islands, but it was a far cry from these idyllic retreats. The harbour from which I departed was pretty enough, crowded with fishing boats and a couple of colourful craft reflected in calm conditions, and the crossing smooth; although solemn wide-eyed children kept me under surveillance for the entire 20-minute trip! But whilst it did have quayside cafés and from afar looked picturesque with its white buildings clustered on a flat foreshore, Syria’s only island playground was a dirty disaster, and I struggled to find anything worthy of a picture. Arched alleyways, narrow lanes, dark stone walls and derelict-looking buildings (with little greenery but a lot of exposed wiring!) were the order of the day.

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arched alleyway

One white stone structure featured attractive arches, a street vendor was going door to door with his cart, a shoe stall was set up under shady vines, and a man was lining a bowl with pastry into which he spooned an ingredient from a large copper pot and what looked like yoghurt, whilst others sat around a table smoking hookahs and playing cards. Outside one small shop, a lady attired in a white headscarf and long-sleeved full-length blue dress was sorting through vegetables in a wooden crate on the ground. There were a few colourful doors, chickens on a rotisserie, meat hanging above fruits and vegetables in the street, and steps beside an outdoor clay oven. Another man with a hookah sat on a chair outside his store, and awnings sheltered produce such as melons, cucumbers, onions and cabbages displayed on the footpath.

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relaxing with a hookah

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all a bit unkempt

Also seated on a wooden chair, a customer was being shaved on the verge.

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time for a shave

There was a colourful ice-cream cart, and tacky souvenir stands sold all manner of tawdry, flashy and cheap items, amongst them: baskets of flowers made from glass chips, lacy fans, caps, and fanciful ornaments created from shells. Back on the mainland, a man was wrapping meat in dough envelopes, which he flattened with his hand and baked in an oven with a roaring gas flame; squatting by the roadside, another was occupied with kettles.

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baker

Ugarit

I passed another hilltop fortification, Qala’at Salah ad-Din, en route to Ugarit (Ras Shamra), a historically important city and the place accredited with developing the first known alphabet, found on clay tablets in its ancient library. Excavations indicated that it was begun before 6000 BC, and in the 13th century BC Ugarit’s Royal Palace was one of the most impressive and famous buildings in western Asia, featuring courtyards, piped water, drainage, and burial chambers. Offerings were sent by kings of Egypt to the famous Temple of Baal, the storm god and supreme deity of Canaanites, Phoenicians and Aramaeans. Once a seat of learning and very wealthy city, centre of trade with Egypt, Cyprus, Mesopotamia and the rest of Syria, it was finally destroyed by the Philistines in 1190 BC. Now, apart from paved floors, wells, and streets defined by walls that were little more than foundations constructed from large and small stones, there was not much left to see.

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Ugarit

Along with sparse green plants amongst the mostly dry growth and grasses in the harsh surroundings, a few long-stemmed purple flowers and clumps of small yellow blooms made a brave showing. Stone water channels criss-crossed the site, an enormous clay jar lay in the ruins alongside remnants of others, and steps hewn from single large slabs mounted to non-existent upper floors or led to vaulted underground tombs.

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a clay jar and old steps

A huge stone wheel could have served as part of a grist mill, and a lizard was sunning itself upon the ancient blocks.

Ugarit was reached via the town of Lattakia, with the usual sacks of dried produce and a square with a large congregation of men smoking hookahs.

Aleppo

After a short stop, I went north-east, past white cliffs and forest, to Aleppo , part of the Islamic Empire since AD 637, where the grounds of the Museum also showcased exhibits. The entrance was marked by larger-than-life black basalt statues wearing tall hats: a female form and two male figures with beards standing on the backs of mythical monsters. The images were once guardians of a ninth-century BC temple-palace and there were five creatures in total. They included one with horns and hooves, a second with claws, and a third with wings, a long tail, paws and a human head. All were endowed with staring white-glazed round eyes, and bas-reliefs of images appeared beneath the bellies of the beasts. There were four representations of lions: one, which was broken, carved from a granite block and three (one rampant) on stone tablets. Also on display were a broken jar, a headless horseman, a plinth embossed with a ram beneath a date palm, and a tablet depicting winged images with bearded faces, pointed hats, short sarongs and bare feet. Close-up study of a capital revealed detail including a plaited cord and scrolls.

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museum exhibits

At the entrance to a souq, I saw bunches of garlic, a large wok containing some white product, and a vendor seated next to vegetables on the pavement. Even here, people were laden with the ubiquitous plastic bag, and small boys were eager to show me meat hanging inside, with colourful flags strung across the ceiling overhead.

Displaying the usual domes and minaret, the Great Omayyed Mosque (Jamma al-Kabir or Jama Zakariyeh, c. 715) was built around an immense pattern-paved courtyard with the obligatory ablution fountain for performing wudhu (ritual washing). The head of Zacharias, father of John the Baptist, after whom the mosque was named, was supposed to be behind the railing to the left of the ivory-inlaid ebony minbar. It had a fairly plain exterior with only simple decoration around arched entries. The free-standing minaret dated back to 1090.

The streets outside featured a fountain in a tiny grassed reserve with palm trees and many old stone buildings, their large wooden balconies enclosed with shutters.

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balconies abounded

This proved to be a symbol of Aleppo, along with the arches of doors and windows created with alternating black and white stone and wrought-iron grilles, balcony railings and trims. I came across fruit stands in narrow streets confined by high walls with trailing plants draping the tops of archways. A boy walked by, a tray of pastries balanced on his head, and I saw rooms above arched buttresses spanning alleys, lovely sculpted window surrounds, massive metal-studded doors, a vaulted alleyway with openings in the ceiling for light, sacks of dried chillies and other commodities, and the domes of an old mosque, dried grass growing on its roof and the muezzin chanting. This last had a black and white entrance through which another domed structure in an inner courtyard was visible. There was a modicum of carved decoration, and the black and white blocks framing tiny windows made them appear much larger. Carpets adorned walls – as did also the tangle of electricity wires.

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beauty spoilt by a network of wires

The impressive square-looking, flat-topped and moated Citadel was perched on a 40m mound with a ramp mounting the steep incline leading to the comparatively unadorned exterior exhibiting just a little of the black and white trim. There were low hexagonal towers but few openings in the outer wall, and the solid 12th-century fortified gateway was a separate structure. Situated at the junction of the ancient trade routes, the area saw the passage of successive civilisations.

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the citadel

I caught a bus to an outlying walled village that was like being transported back in time.

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walled village

As soon as I alighted, I was greeted by laughing giggling children who had been blowing bubbles, but although excited and all wanting to be in photographs, they were not cheeky as in most developing countries that experience a lot of tourism; I did not feel threatened at any stage.

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reception committee

Behind walled enclosures, the beehive-shaped adobe houses and granaries seemed deserted in the heat of the day until, curious as ever, I entered a yard to take pictures. The friendly family then emerging, there was nothing for it but to accept an invitation indoors. Of course, we could only communicate with smiles and hand gestures, but I was made so welcome that it was embarrassing; tea, tomatoes, bread and feta cheese were produced, and they received a surprising number of visitors! It was very amusing when the man of the house combed his hair and preened for a family photograph! After that, I was obliged to enter every home for fear of offending by refusal, and was followed by an entourage of adults and, I am sure, all the children of the village.

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serious faces belie genuine hospitality

With only bare essentials, the homes were very spartan, but clean and obviously quite well-to-do, with carpet on the floor, cushions to sit on, and hangings on whitewashed walls. The first contained silver platters arrayed on top of a large carved and mirrored cabinet. There were at least three generations present, including a very elderly lady. The women wore traditional attire, but the children were well dressed in brightly coloured Western-style clothing, albeit old-fashioned. I took more film in a well-tended yard with some type of healthy-looking crop and observed black-faced sheep sheltering in the shade of walls with protruding corbels and dry grass growing on top.

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taking advantage of the shade

Garlic hung on another wall, goats and sheep rested under a tarpaulin in an enclosure with a wooden trough, a chicken perched on the stone-built surround, and more goats wandered freely in the street. I noticed several whitewashed exteriors and some decoration on a stone façade. There were few trees, although vines grew over a couple of elementary patios, but there were plenty of sheep and one black and white cow with a calf. I heard the click of hoofs on the packed earth as a goat padded over to the corner of a low wall and peered intently at me; aware of a stranger in their midst, even the animals were interested!

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even the animals were curious

A third home had a few items such as a small mirror and embroidered samplers hanging on a wall; a shelf with a decorative valance held sparkling silver utensils. Coloured blankets, obviously used at night, were neatly folded in a pile. I joined a large noisy crowd of rural people waiting with their goods for the return bus, which took some time to load.

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my transport

Back in Aleppo (mentioned in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello), I came across a photogenic old house, its wooden shutters and balcony in a sad state of repair, another edifice with intricately carved stone and a thin minaret, and some beautiful old fretwork decoration. Men were drinking coffee in a woodworking shop, a chair stood ready for its occupant in the street outside tiny stores near a stepped alley, and a high-walled structure featured battlements, a plaque above an arch, and Arabic script etched into the stone. Engraved metal