Picturing Jordan

Sharing Jordan with the world — one picture at a time.

Saint Thaddeus Church at Sunset

Church in typical Armenian style with pointy blue roof and the city behind it.

Iconic Armenian Church in Jabal Ashrafieh at Sunset

Shortly after moving to Amman I noticed this unique building 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 is a religious site after all!

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Cleanliness Comes From Faith

Graffiti with Arabic inscription depicting someone putting trash in a trash can

Graffiti in downtown Amman appeals to the faithful

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 finesse — as here in Jordan.

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Red, Orange, and Yellow Rice at Bab al-Yemen

All the multi-colored rice you can eat

All the multi-colored rice you can eat

You haven’t lived until you and your friends have eaten seventeen different colors of rice, meat, and sauces while sitting on the floor at the Bab al-Yemen restaurant in Amman. If my experience is anything to go by, every item on the menu is downright delicious — including the humongous, flame-kissed flatbread that would be almost as fascinating to see being made as it was to eat.

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