Simakiyya

The past two weeks or so we've been living in a small village of about 2,000 people about two hours south of Amman called Simakiyya. We were helping out with a children's camp being held at a church there. Simakiyya is located on the edge of the desert in central Jordan and is the only entirely Christian village in the country. The residents--who are predominantly members of two tribes--are part of either the Melkite Greek Catholic Church or the Latin Catholic Church, with only the latter being under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. Our camp was held at the Latin Catholic Church, and the two churches stand practically side by side in town.

The village was only established around 100 years ago, as until then the people were nomadic Bedouin who herded their flocks of goats and sheep in the area and lived in tents. Since settling, the people started farming wheat and other grains. They also continue to raise goats and sheep, some people with pens right outside their homes. Although on the edge of the desert--and brown and dusty now--the surrounding area was a pleasant and surprising green when we first visited in April. Below are some pictures of the village.

A house in the middle of the village.

A view of the village from the rooftop of a friend. You can see the hills of the desert in the background.


Matt and a friend from Amman--who also worked at the camp--walking on a street in the village as a local bus makes a stop.


A gate at an entrance to a house. The cross is something you don't see very often here in Jordan.

A view of the village from the roof of our apartment building.

The Latin Catholic Church.