{{<figuresrc="/2018/07/IMG_20180707_185402.jpg"title="Iconic Armenian Church in Jabal Al-Ashrafiyeh at Sunset"alt="Church in typical Armenian style with pointy blue roof and the city behind it.">}}
Shortly after moving to Amman [I noticed this unique building]({{< ref "saint-thaddeus-church-amman.md" >}}) on a distant hill and I set out on a sort of scavenger hunt to find it. The walk from downtown to Jabal Al-Ashrafiyeh is packed with winding streets and steep staircases (some of which go nowhere). To this day the church is one of my favorite landmarks in Amman and I often make the trek there when I'm feeling like getting some exercise and exploring the city. I like to think of it as a pilgrimage—it *is* a religious site after all!
On this particular summer day it was just before sunset when the light becomes less intense and takes on an orange hue. After admiring the church for some time from up close I walked on past it only to turn back a few moments later and catch a glimpse of this iconic building against the backdrop of a seemingly endless city. In retrospect, I must have been extra lucky to have been spared Amman's infamous dusty haze that day.
In my experience Jabal Al-Ashrafiyeh is safe and bustling with friendly people. On my walk back home that day many children stopped to slap high fives, ask my name, and one family even offered me some zucchini stuffed with minced meat and pine nuts. This was a good day.
