Exploring Jordan

Last week Jordan celebrated the former King Hussein's birthday and we decided to rent a car and get out of Amman for the day. We have visited most of the popular tourist sites in Jordan such as Petra, Jerash and the Dead Sea and plan to start exploring the more obscure sites that many don't get to see, such as King Herod's desert palace where John the Baptist was beheaded or Pella, another Roman city like Jerash. But for this trip we decided to travel about two hours north of Amman to Um Qais--one of our favorite places to visit in Jordan. According to the Bible, Um Qais--called Gadara at the time--is where Jesus cast demons out of two men into a herd of pigs.

Matthew 8:28-34
They landed in the country of Gadarenes (Jordan) and were met by two madmen, victims of demons, coming out of the cemetery. The men had terrorized the region for so long that no one considered it safe to walk down that stretch of road anymore. Seeing Jesus, the madmen screamed out, "What business do you have giving us a hard time? You are the Son of God! You weren't supposed to show up here yet!" Off in the distance a herd of pigs was browsing and rooting. The evil spirits begged Jesus, "If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs." Jesus sad, "Go ahead, but get out of here!" Crazed, the pigs stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned. Scared to death, the swineherders bolted. They told everyone back in town what had happened to the madmen and the pigs. Those who heard about it were angry about the drowned pigs. A mob formed and demanded that Jesus get out and not come back.

We enjoy going to Um Qais because it is cool to see a place where Jesus performed miracles and because it is out in the country, away from the hectic pace of Amman. It is a place where Jordan, Israel and Syria come together, and from it there are amazing views of the Golan Heights--land that is contested between Israel and Syria--the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River Valley. Sitting in Jordan overlooking this beautiful scenery in the peacefulness of the countryside, we are reminded why we are here and continue to pray and work for peace between these close neighbors.

Below are some pictures of Um Qais and our drive back to Amman through the Jordan Valley. ENJOY!

A young boy on his donkey, helping to herd sheep in the Jordan Valley.

The sheep herd.

The sheep with the hills surrounding the valley in the distance.

The main street through Um Qais/Gadara, lined with columns.

The same street, from a different view.

The ruins of old shop stalls in Um Qais/Gadara. The columns in the background--as well as many of the bricks at the site--are made with black basalt, which is a unique feature of the city.

The top of a black basalt column.

Annamarie on the steps of a lookout point at the restaurant at Um Qais.

Looking out from Um Qais toward the Golan Heights on the right, with the Sea of Galilee and Israel and Palestine toward the left.

Eid al-Fitr

Well, Ramadan is over--it has been for quite some time now, we've just been a little too busy to update this--and the normal rhythm of life has returned to Amman. It is interesting that just as the onset of Ramadan required us to adjust mentally, the end of Ramadan has required mental adjustments as well. For instance, during Ramadan we of course would not eat or drink outside--or even chew gum--lest we draw the ire of those around us who were officially supposed to be fasting, and so we would be sensitive to the culture around us. We even felt self-conscious eating or drinking in front the big windows at the front of our apartment. This self-consciousness lasted even after Ramadan had ended, as occasionally we found ourselves retreating from the windows with food or drink, only to remind ourselves that there was no need to be careful anymore. This is a small thing, but it is an example of the mental steps one must take to be sensitive to certain aspects of the culture here, and how ingrained those steps can become in your mind.

Anyway, for three days after Ramadan, it is the tradition here in Jordan and across the Islamic world for Muslims to visit their friends and families to celebrate the end of Ramadan. This is called Eid al-Fitr--The Festival of Fast-Breaking. The visits are meant to be short--as there are a lot of visits to be made--and you are supposed wear some of your best clothes and perhaps even get a fresh haircut for the occasion. Of course food and drink is provided during these Eid visits, and in Jordan it is tradition for the hosts to serve small sips of unsweetened Arabic coffee--as opposed to the usually very sweet coffee--and a cookie type treat filled with dates or nuts, called ma'mool. Below is a picture of some ma'mool.

Baseball Fever in Jordan

Last week marked an abrupt end to a remarkable season for my favorite baseball team, the Minnesota Twins. As an avid Twins fan, I checked the progress of the team nearly every day these past few months, even following games live online when I could, as I did recently during their last regular season game so I would know if they won their division before I went to bed that night. They did indeed win, and I went to bed a happy man. Unfortunately, they were then soundly beaten in three straight games in the opening round of the playoffs, eliminating them from the postseason and turning that happy night into a distant memory in just a few days. Below is a picture of me putting on a happy face behind the bar at the Marriott Hotel in Amman--where I watched two of the three playoff games--as the season was coming to a close. I wait expectantly for the next season to begin.

Ramadan and Christmas

Jordan and America are about 6000 miles apart. The people in each country are different, the systems of government are different, the lifestyles are different and the predominant religions of each country are different. And yet, there is something very familiar about the ways in which the people of each country celebrate their two major holidays--Christmas and Ramadan.

I came to this realization when we were shopping at Safeway the night before the start of the Ramadan fast. The store was packed with people rushing around, buying all sorts of last minute food items, and the lines at the checkout lanes snaked out onto the concourse, the carts overflowing with Ramadan treats in bulk. "Is this what Ramadan is supposed to be about?" I said to myself. "Everyone running around, stressed out, and buying, buying, buying?"

Of course soon after that sentiment I remembered that the Christmas season is a lot like what I was witnessing in Safeway. Have you ever been to a mall at any point between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Have you seen the yearly television footage of people trampling over each other the morning after Thanksgiving--The Biggest Shopping Day of the Year--for cheap deals on DVD players, computers or the latest trendy doll? Yes, this mad rush in Safeway, I realized, was indeed a lot like Christmas.

Because of this Safeway Epiphany, over the next several days I began to more purposefully look around for other similarities in the ways Americans and Jordanians celebrate Christmas and Ramadan. What follows are the results of my immediate observations.

LIGHTS OF THE SEASON
The Christmas season is of course the time for everyone to decorate their homes and yards with Christmas lights, and during Ramadan, people here do the same. The lights are less extravagant here--no one is blanketing their home with lights in an attempt to win a Ramadan decoration contest or to get on the evening news--but Ramadan lights are definitely a part of the season all the same. What is most common is a simple stream of lights hung from one point to another, a string of stars with a single, larger crescent moon or simply one crescent moon with a smaller star beside it.

SYMBOLS OF THE SEASON
Regardless of the religious nature of Christmas, the predominant symbol of the season is the Christmas Tree. Here in Jordan, Ramadan is also celebrated with a predominant symbol, and that symbol is a lantern, or Fanous. Just as with the Christmas Tree, the Fanous is not necessarily a religious symbol, but they are found hanging in front of buildings and are pictured on almost any Ramadan related item. The night before the fast, we saw many people walking out of stores with one, like a family bringing home a tree.

FOOD FOR THE SEASON
If there is one particular food that every person in Jordan has to have during Ramadan, it is an after dinner treat called qatayef. Similar to little pancakes, qatayef is usually folded in half and filled with cheese, cream, cinnamon and pistachios or walnuts, and is topped with a drizzling of honey. All over Amman in the afternoon you can see lines of people buying qatayef at bakeries to eat later in the evening when people visit. At first I thought, "How funny to have a special food that everybody loves but is only eaten during one month of the year." I quickly remembered, though, that there are a plethora of special treats that people at home only eat at Christmastime. And, of course, there is eggnog. Nobody drinks eggnog in July.

MARKETING FOR THE SEASON
Like during Christmas in North America, during Ramadan many businesses in Amman focus their marketing efforts around the holiday. Businesses have special sales, as signs can be seen all over town advertising various Ramadan discounts. Stores and shops of all sizes decorate for the season. For instance, the picture below shows the inside of Safeway decorated with what I think are either depictions of the tops of Ramadan lamps or the dome that is a part of many mosques. Also, even Starbucks has special Ramadan take away cups--just like we have for Christmas--decorated with stars and the Ramadan lamp.





THE CONCERN OF THE SEASON
Finally, no comparison of these two holidays would be complete without reference to the major concern that it seems both Christians and Muslims share--that their holidays have become too materialistic. Christians can sometimes be heard worrying that the spiritual aspects of Christmas are lost amidst such a great focus on gifts. However, as this article from an Egyptian newspaper shows, it is important to note that Muslims worry about this too. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, the shopping and the marketing, many Muslims also worry that the spiritual apsects of their holiday are getting lost. After being in Jordan now almost six months--and through previous experiences too--I know that there are a lot of differences bewteen me, the people from my homeland and people from this part of the world. Nevertheless, there is still a lot about us that we share.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan started today. More precisely--since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar--Ramadan began last night with the sighting of the new crescent moon. It will end a month from now, when the next new crescent moon ushers in the start of a new lunar month. The month of Ramadan is the major Islamic occasion of the year, and during this month Muslims are supposed to abstain from food, any kind of drink, smoking and sex from sunup to sundown. It is all supposed to be a part of a time of greater focus on God.

If you're wondering how this month of fasting came to be, the practice of Ramadan was established in the Qur'an. Surah (chapter) 2, verse 185 of the Qur'an makes clear the requirement of fasting for this month. "Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later..."

Two verses later the parameters of this fasting are set out. It is to last from sunup to sundown, and it is to involve not just abstinence from food, but from drink and sex too. It is also supposed to teach Muslims to discipline or control themselves. "Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and you are their garments. Allah knows what you used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Has ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while you are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah. Approach not nigh thereto. Thus Allah makes clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint."

Here in Jordan, Ramadan changes the normal rhythm of the entire country. Because eating is allowed between sunset and sunrise, many Jordanians get up to eat breakfast before sunrise, and then head back to bed and sleep in later than usual. Those who work more than likely go in a little later than usual as well. Business hours change, and many restaurants, shawarma and falafel stands are open for fewer daytime hours than usual, as there is not much point in serving up fresh food when the great majority of the country is officially not supposed to be eating. By sunset, those who can be are home with their families, readying for the call to prayer to ring out, indicating that sunset has occurred and eating is allowed. During this time the streets are bare and quiet, as the great majority of people are at home. This nightly breaking of the fast is an important family and community occasion, and not just a normal nightly dinner. It is somewhat like having a special Christmas dinner with family, except during Ramadan, it happens every night for a month. The unique rhythm of Ramadan continues after dinner, as people go out and enjoy the night, choking the streets with cars and staying up later than usual. A day of denial is over, and the night is to be enjoyed, before another such day begins.

Shawarma Reem

Shawarma is a very popular sandwich here in Jordan. Similar to the Greek gyro--which some of you back home may be more familiar with--shawarmas are made with pressed chicken or lamb meat that sits on a rotating spit and is cooked throughout the day. They are eaten here at nearly all times of the day. We live near one of the most popular shawarma stands in Amman--called Shawarma Reem--and it boasts one of the largest slabs of meat as well. People drive from all over the city to get a sandwich. They put the meat on at around 10:00 a.m. and are serving it until at least 2:00 a.m., and because of the long lines late at night you sometimes have to wait 30 to 45 minutes for a sandwich. For all of you meat lovers out there here are a couple pictures!

Graduation

On Friday we attended the graduation of our friend Tony from JETS--Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary--where he received a bachelor's Degree in Theology. He is part of the Sudanese Church we attend here in Amman that is made up of students from JETS, people who came here to work and others who have fled Sudan because of persecution. We really enjoy being part of this community and find it encouraging to see how God is blessing many from our church. Many of the students plan to return to Sudan after their studies, and Tony will be leaving Jordan in two weeks to return to Khartoum where he wants to work with youth. Pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters here in Jordan. Pray also for those who are working in Sudan, as the country is in the process of rebuilding and reconciling after two decades of war in the south, and a continuing war in the west. Below are some pictures of the graduation celebration.

Matt and Tony after the graduation ceremony


Friends from our church at the graduation



Sarah and Michael with their daughter Peace.

Wanted: A Proportionate Response

As you are probably aware, a cease fire has been agreed to in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. As we wrote before, this short war--which may or may not actually be over--dominated the news here, and from what we have seen on the internet and satellite television, it was big news around the world too, as it should have been.

Despite my obvious interest in the region, though--since I live here--I am left somewhat amazed at the intense level of interest and amount of news coverage that the war generated. This is not meant to minimize the very real suffering that people experienced and continue to experience because of the war. After all, around 1000 people were killed, and many parts of Lebanon were simply destroyed. That is big news, and beyond that, it is obviously very sad.

However, from my point of view--and it seems almost like heresy to admit this if this part of the world is one of your great focuses in life--I think the war received a disproportionate amount of interest, news coverage and attention from the United Nations and various governments from around the world. Actually, maybe it is better to say that it received the appropriate attention, but in comparison, other conflicts do not. For instance, an estimated 400,000 people have died since 2003 in the war in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Another 1.8 million are said to have been displaced. It is also said that around 500 people continue to die every day there, which means that in two days the number of dead about equals the total number of deaths in Lebanon during the nearly 40 days of fighting there.

One would think that a war in which the number of monthly deaths is equivalent to the population of the town in which I grew up would garner a lot of attention. However, I don't think the average person is really aware of what's going on in Sudan. News stories are scarce, and I can't remember when I last saw a televised report on the situation. I think it's also safe to say that diplomatic activity to end the war could be more intense. After all, the conflict is over three years old now. In contrast, I am guessing that nearly everyone with a TV or a computer knows at least something about what's been going on in Lebanon. While the fighting went on, BBC Television--as well as the American stations we've been able to see on satellite--led nearly every newscast with the war, the local newspaper here devoted basically the entire front page to the war and governments around the world fell all over themselves trying to negotiate an end to the fighting. In fact, the negotiating continues, as just today, after days of wrangling, the European Union agreed to send 7,000 troops to help police the cease fire.

Now, this is not meant to be a game of numbers. I was stunned when I heard Israel had bombed the Beirut airport, and I continued to be stunned and saddened as Israel bombed and destroyed cities and villages in southern Lebanon, as well as parts of Beirut. I live near Lebanon and Israel, and so I care immensely about what goes on in this region. I don't want people to ignore what goes on here. I am just amazed that a three year old war in which 400 times as many people have been killed doesn't receive the same amount of attention. My hope is that we continue to carefully watch the situation between Israel, Lebanon and Hezbollah, without forgetting the trials and tribulations of the rest of the world too.

Jordanian Shade

All summer here in Amman the temperature has hovered around 90 degrees with occasional forays into the 100s. It is hot, dry and dusty, and many people--if they can--avoid the mid-day heat and simply stay inside. However, because the humidity is not always very high, if you are outside, it is possible to get a good respite from the heat by walking or resting under the shade of a building, a tree--really, whatever you can find. Yes, it is hot, but finding that elusive shade really can make a big difference in your level of comfort.

Of course many of the stories in the Bible are set in a climate like this, and in my mind the Jordanian heat brings those passages to life. In Genesis, for example, one story has Abraham sitting in his tent "in the heat of the day." When three men come to visit him, he tells them to rest under a tree. These are small details, but because of our time in Jordan I can imagine the afternoon heat experienced by Abraham, as well as the good shade from the heat that the tent and the tree would provide. Also, there is the story of Jonah, who after preaching to the people of Nineveh--a city in what is now northern Iraq, not all that far from us here--left and built himself a little shelter outside the city. It was apparently quite hot, so God raised up a bush to provide shade for Jonah, and to "save him from his discomfort." The next day, though, God caused the bush to die, and Jonah lost his shade. As a result, he became so hot and frustrated that he grew "faint and asked that he might die." Jonah was so hot that he lost his will to live.

Now, I've never been so hot that I wished I were dead, but again, because of our time in Jordan I can imagine how Jonah felt. I think I've felt like that while riding on a windowless bus in the Jordan Valley, the temperature outside of over 100 degrees causing those of us inside to bake, my tan pants clinging to the sweat on my legs. I think I've experienced this while walking near the Jordan River, where the hot breeze beat down on us like we had just opened a hot oven and where all the mighty power of the sun seemed focused on the naked part in my hair on the top of my head. Through these--and other--experiences, I can imagine why Jonah was so upset that he lost his shade.

So, as I said, shade can make a big difference, and it is this shade--a shade that can save you from devastating heat--that is good to think about when looking at the imagery used in other parts of the Bible. For instance, Psalm 121 calls God "your shade at your right hand," and Isaiah 25 calls God "a shade from the heat." When I read this, I remember how the other day--when I was outside walking in the heat of the day--I moved immediately into the shadow of a building as soon as I noticed it, how I sought the shade from the heat it would give me. Shade works, and I suppose it is this reaction to the heat of a hot summer day that the various biblical writers had in mind when they referred to God as shade. Like the building, like Jonah's bush, like Abraham's tent, God makes the heat we experience more bearable.

Views of the Middle East

Overlooking the city from the citadel in Aleppo, Syria

A desert dessert - cactus!

Spices in the market

Annamarie hanging out with her friend Suha

Prayer beads

A beautiful Jordanian Woman

Glass lamps

Moving Day in Amman

A plant on the hills outside of Amman

The Barbie Alternative

In the United States there is Barbie and in the Middle East there is Fulla. Fulla is the Muslim alternative to Barbie and she is sometimes sold with a prayer mat but always with a head covering. Fulla is huge here in Jordan. Everywhere you go you see her - on chewing gum, sandals and bikes. Our friends daughter even has a bedroom decked out in Fulla sheets and drapes. I took this picture at a corner store the other day - happy to see the two backpacks side by side outside the store.

The Ever Present Television

Here in Jordan, a television always seems to be turned on somewhere, tuned to the same Arabic news station, projecting images of death and destruction from Lebanon. From the largest department store in the more Western area of Amman, to the closet sized shops and falafel stands that are dotted all throughout the city, to the males only barber shop down the street from our apartment, televisions are on hand, set seemingly all day to coverage of crying parents, dead children and craters where neighborhoods once stood.

As an American living here, these televisions serve as uncomfortable, ever present reminders of the role that America is seen as having in yet another conflict in the region in which Arabs and Muslims suffer. America has already been viewed for years as being far too pro-Israel in the continuing struggle with the Palestinians, and then came the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now there is the war in Lebanon, where nearly one million people have been displaced, about 900 civilians have been killed as of today, and where large portions of the country have been devastated by bombing. Because of the close relationship between Israel and America, many Jordanians probably see America as being nearly just as guilty as Israel is for this new destruction. Whenever people here are thinking of Israel, thoughts of America are never too far behind.

And so when we pass a shop in which the man behind the cash register is watching a recap of the battles of the day, we wonder what he is thinking about America, and as a result, us. When we stop at the barber shop to ask for directions to a certain part of town--as Israeli bombs are creating clouds of smoke on the television behind us--we wonder what the people inside the shop are thinking. When we ask a man in the aforementioned large department store intently watching the latest news on the war on a bank of television sets if there was anything new--and receive a barely audible answer--we wonder what he is thinking. And when we pass by a restaurant not far from our home, and all inside are turned towards one wall, with their heads tilted upwards, eyes wide open and attentive--seemingly transfixed--we wonder. Is there a TV on that wall? Are they tuned in to the war too?

The War in Lebanon from Jordan

The war taking place in Lebanon and northern Israel is of course big news around the world. However, it is all the news here. In the past five days, the Jordan Times has published 53 stories on the war, with 14 of those coming yesterday. Every little shop or store with a television is turned on to war coverage almost continually. Homes probably are too. Annamarie was visiting a Jordanian friend the other night, and most of the visit was spent talking about Lebanon and watching the television for news footage. Also, television stations from around the region are broadcasting footage of the carnage in Lebanon set to Islamic and patriotic music--think MTV on a totally different level.

Other signs attest to the importance of the story in the region. For example, cedar tree decals--the cedar tree is the national symbol of Lebanon--are starting to appear on car windows as a show of support for the country. Also, a local cultural festival held for 25 years in the spectacularly preserved ruins of the 2000 year old Roman city of Jerash was recently postponed because of the war. With the Lebanese flag sharing space with the Jordanian flag at the top of the online announcement, the website for the month long event pronounced it was being held off "due to the current circumstances in the region."

During this time, many people have expressed their concern for our safety, with war waging not far from where we live. This is a common concern people have whenever a new explosion of violence occurs in our region. We are in no danger as far as our physical safety is concerned, however. Just as with the war in Iraq, though, we experience the impact that the war in Lebanon has on others through our day to day experiences here in Jordan.

For instance, we have an Arab Christian friend here whose family owns and operates a company that produces tissue and toilet paper, among other products. Several days ago their factory in Beirut was bombed by the Israelis and completely destroyed. Also, while standing outside of a travel agency a few days ago we overheard an American sounding man on a mobile phone telling someone that "bombs were falling all around" his car as he tried to escape to the Syrian border, on his way to Jordan. Inside, a travel agent told us she had been inundated all day with people who had fled Lebanon. A friend returning from a trip to Syria told us that it took her four hours to cross the border into Jordan because of the many Lebanese coming into Jordan through Syria. Finally, a recent article in the Jordan Times discussed the rising hotel occupancy rate in Jordan due to the influx of people fleeing the fighting in Lebanon. It reported that Five Star hotels here are now 90 percent full. Of course these hotel occupants represent just a small fraction of the people running from the fighting, as current estimates put the number of people displaced by the war at 500,000.

For our own part, we have been to Beirut, as well as some of the other areas in Lebanon being bombed, so it is a shock to us to imagine places and people we have visited being reduced to rubble. Two days ago came the news that an upscale Christian area of Beirut was unexpectedly bombed. We visited that area in 2000, and we went to a Starbucks there, which was a special treat after being in Jordan for a year and a half or so. I ordered a mocha, but they were out of mocha. Annamarie successfully argued for a free refill on coffee by saying that such refills were standard policy in America. Lebanon was a wonderful place to vacation, and we have good memories of our time there. There are long, beautiful beaches, snow-capped mountains, ancient ruins and modern pleasures and amenities, all wrapped into one, tiny country. It saddens us to think that some parts of that country are now modern ruins.

We are heartbroken to see the people of Lebanon suffer and we ask that everyone pray for this conflict to come to a peaceful end for all involved. We pray for those who have lost loved ones--both Lebanese and Israelis--and for those who are now refugees fleeing their homes.

Syrian Travels II

Here are some pictures from the Damascus portion of our trip.

Damascus is the capital of Syria and it's largest city, with a population of around five million. Like Aleppo, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with settlement in the area going back 5000 years. The old city is surrounded by walls like in the picture above. Originally built in Roman times, the walls have been destroyed and reconstructed a number of times throughout the centuries.

Nighttime in Souq al-Hamidiyya, the main souq in the old city. It was constructed in the mid 18th century.

A vendor in the souq selling juice in colorful style.

At the end of Souq al-Hamidiyya stand the remains of the 3rd century Roman Temple of Jupiter, an area now lined with juice vendors.

Two women in the large square just outside the souq.

Inside the courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque, located on the other side of the square from the souq. The mosque was built in 705 AD, on the site of a church, which was built on the site of the Temple of Jupiter. According to Islamic tradition, it is here where the second coming of Jesus will take place.

A close-up of the main entrance to the inside of the Umayyad Mosque.

Inside the Umayyad Mosque.

The minaret, lit up at night.

Syrian Travels

Last week we returned from a trip to Syria, spending several nights in both Aleppo and Damascus. Damascus is about four hours from Amman, and Aleppo about five hours north of Damascus. We had been to Syria before, but this time we tried more purposefully to think about what it might be like to live there and what we might do if we moved there after language school. Here are some pictures from the Aleppo portion of our trip.

Inside the market--souq--of Aleppo. With a population of around 4 million, the city is Syria's second largest, and is one of the oldest inhabited cities on earth, with settlement in the area dating back at least 4000 years. Parts of the souq area--which is surrounded by walls inside the old city--date back to the 13th century.

Another part of the souq.

Inside the souq, Matt with the remains of a camel carcass.

Throughout the souq there are specific areas for buying such products as meat, textiles and spices. This is a spice pyramid in the spice souq.

Aleppo is famous for their soap, with soaps made from olive oil, honey, cinnamon and almond oil, for example. This is just a sampling of the different varieties that can be found in the souq.

This boy had just finished taking a picture of Matt with his mobile phone. Matt had several pictures taken of him on the trip.

The Great Mosque, just outside the city walls of old Aleppo. It was built in the early 8th century.

Right at the entrance to the old city was a video/DVD store, which played a locally produced movie of the Battle of Fallujah from the war in Iraq every day, and nearly all day. There was always a crowd of people watching--usually more than what is shown here--with great interest.

A cherry vendor on the busy street just outside the old city walls.

The entrance to the citadel, which is a fortified structure built on a man-made hill overlooking the city. It was built in the 10th century, and renovated in the 12th and 13th centuries.