Frescoes

Today saw our tour of Jordan go from Amman to Umm al Jimal almost on the Syrian border. We passed the huge refugee camp at nearby al Zaatari and witnessed a regular convoy of water trucks going in and sewage trucks coming out.
Umm al Jimal is constructed of basalt, and the colour of the stone as well as the dark volcanic soil makes it a very dreary looking place.

On to Azraq, originally built by the Romans one of its more recent inhabitants was T E Lawrence. Until a few decades ago this fort was at the centre of a cooling and beautiful oasis, but its waters now supply the people of Amman.

In contrast, the beautiful frescoes at the hunting lodge at Qasr Amra which was constructed during the Islamic Umayyad dynasty of 8th century are bright and colourful. Some of the human depictions on the barrel vaulted ceilings have escaped iconoclastic obliteration. Centuries of smoke, dust and graffiti have taken its toll, but the frescoes are being restored. In the domed bath house the ceiling decoration shows the constellations of the night sky.