alt="Several reams of colorful fabric stacked vertically in a shop in downtown Amman."/> <figcaption>
<h4>Reams of colorful Bedouin fabric on sale in downtown Amman</h4>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Anyone who has drank tea in Petra or ate <ahref="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansaf">mansaf</a> in Wadi Rum will quickly recognize the unique fabric adorning traditional Bedouin tents in Jordan. These colorful designs are commonly used across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond, from Syria and Iraq in the north to the United Arab Emirates and Oman in the southeast. American musician Cardi B even featured some in the 2017 music video for her song <ahref="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEGccV-NOm8">Bodak Yellow</a>!</p>
<ahref='https://picturingjordan.com/2018/08/buying-bedouin-fabric-amman/'>Read more →</a>
</article>
<articleclass="blog-post">
<header>
<h2class="blog-post-title"dir="auto"><ahref="https://picturingjordan.com/2018/07/saint-thaddeus-church-sunset/">Saint Thaddeus Church at Sunset</a></h2>
<pclass="blog-post-meta"><timedatetime="2018-07-17T13:16:43+03:00">Tue Jul 17, 2018</time> by Alan Orth in
alt="Church in typical Armenian style with pointy blue roof and the city behind it."/> <figcaption>
<h4>Iconic Armenian Church in Jabal Ashrafieh at Sunset</h4>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Shortly after moving to Amman <ahref="https://picturingjordan.com/2016/09/saint-thaddeus-church-amman/">I noticed this unique building</a> on a distant hill and I set out on a sort of scavenger hunt to find it. The walk from downtown to Jabal Ashrafieh 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 <em>is</em> a religious site after all!</p>
<ahref='https://picturingjordan.com/2018/07/saint-thaddeus-church-sunset/'>Read more →</a>
</article>
<articleclass="blog-post">
<header>
<h2class="blog-post-title"dir="auto"><ahref="https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/">Cleanliness Comes From Faith</a></h2>
<pclass="blog-post-meta"><timedatetime="2017-07-25T16:15:22+03:00">Tue Jul 25, 2017</time> by Alan Orth in
alt="Graffiti with Arabic inscription depicting someone putting trash in a trash can"/> <figcaption>
<h4>Graffiti in downtown Amman appeals to the faithful</h4>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There is a popular notion that cleanliness is an important part of the Islamic faith, though you wouldn’t know it from walking around Jordan. I have never seen people throw coffee cups, half-eaten sandwiches, tissues, etc on the street so carelessly—and often times with such <em>finesse</em>—as here in Jordan.</p>
<ahref='https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/'>Read more →</a>
Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a <arel='license'href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/'>Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license</a>.