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        <h1 class="blog-title" dir="auto"><a href="https://picturingjordan.com/" rel="home">Picturing Jordan</a></h1>
        <p class="lead blog-description" dir="auto">Sharing Jordan with the world — one picture at a time.</p>
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<article class="blog-post">
  <header>
    <h2 class="blog-post-title" dir="auto"><a href="https://picturingjordan.com/2018/07/saint-thaddeus-church-sunset/">Saint Thaddeus Church at Sunset</a></h2>
    <p class="blog-post-meta"><time datetime="2018-07-17T13:16:43+03:00">Tue Jul 17, 2018</time> by Alan Orth in 
<span class="fas fa-folder" aria-hidden="true"></span>&nbsp;<a href="/categories/architecture/" rel="category tag">Architecture</a>


<span class="fas fa-tag" aria-hidden="true"></span>&nbsp;<a href="/tags/church/" rel="tag">Church</a>, <a href="/tags/amman/" rel="tag">Amman</a>

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            src="https://picturingjordan.com/2018/07/saint-thaddeus-church-sunset/IMG_20180707_185402_hu5e327a82cc4b1650d18c3a7d686420b8_1554540_800x0_resize_q75_box.jpg"
            

        
            alt="Church in typical Armenian style with pointy blue roof and the city behind it."/> <figcaption>
            <h4>Iconic Armenian Church in Jabal Al-Ashrafiyeh at Sunset</h4>
        </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>Shortly after moving to Amman <a href="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 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&rsquo;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>
  <a href='https://picturingjordan.com/2018/07/saint-thaddeus-church-sunset/'>Read more →</a>
</article> 






<article class="blog-post">
  <header>
    <h2 class="blog-post-title" dir="auto"><a href="https://picturingjordan.com/2018/02/greco-roman-ruins-pella/">Greco–Roman Ruins of Pella</a></h2>
    <p class="blog-post-meta"><time datetime="2018-02-28T13:43:29+02:00">Wed Feb 28, 2018</time> by Alan Orth in 
<span class="fas fa-folder" aria-hidden="true"></span>&nbsp;<a href="/categories/architecture/" rel="category tag">Architecture</a>


<span class="fas fa-tag" aria-hidden="true"></span>&nbsp;<a href="/tags/pella/" rel="tag">Pella</a>, <a href="/tags/greek/" rel="tag">Greek</a>, <a href="/tags/roman/" rel="tag">Roman</a>

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                   https://picturingjordan.com/2018/02/greco-roman-ruins-pella/DSC_0005_huff8aa5895bea96743b27179bb809f0e2_2549122_800x0_resize_q75_box.JPG 800w,
                   
            
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
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            src="https://picturingjordan.com/2018/02/greco-roman-ruins-pella/DSC_0005_huff8aa5895bea96743b27179bb809f0e2_2549122_800x0_resize_q75_box.JPG"
            

        
            alt="Remains of the classical basilica of Pella"/> <figcaption>
            <h4>Remains of the classical basilica of Pella</h4>
        </figcaption>
</figure>

<p>These days there isn&rsquo;t much to see of the Greco–Roman city of Pella in northwestern Jordan. Sadly, the ancient ruins here suffer from being slightly smaller, slightly less well-preserved, and slightly less convenient to visit than the similar ruins at <a href="https://picturingjordan.com/2017/04/greco-roman-ruins-jerash/">Jerash</a>. With a bit of imagination and some historical background, however, they are equally enchanting and even have a unique character of their own.</p>
  <a href='https://picturingjordan.com/2018/02/greco-roman-ruins-pella/'>Read more →</a>
</article> 






<article class="blog-post">
  <header>
    <h2 class="blog-post-title" dir="auto"><a href="https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/">Cleanliness Comes From Faith</a></h2>
    <p class="blog-post-meta"><time datetime="2017-07-25T16:15:22+03:00">Tue Jul 25, 2017</time> by Alan Orth in 
<span class="fas fa-folder" aria-hidden="true"></span>&nbsp;<a href="/categories/islam/" rel="category tag">Islam</a>


<span class="fas fa-tag" aria-hidden="true"></span>&nbsp;<a href="/tags/graffiti/" rel="tag">Graffiti</a>, <a href="/tags/amman/" rel="tag">Amman</a>

</p>
  </header>
  <figure>
    <img
        
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                   https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/IMG_20161120_143235_hu3c95012c9bdcf963a4c760d1366ba0c8_3239415_800x0_resize_q75_box.jpg 800w,
                   
            
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/IMG_20161120_143235_hu3c95012c9bdcf963a4c760d1366ba0c8_3239415_1200x0_resize_q75_box.jpg 1200w,
                   
            
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/IMG_20161120_143235_hu3c95012c9bdcf963a4c760d1366ba0c8_3239415_1500x0_resize_q75_box.jpg 1500w,
                   
            '

            
            
            src="https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/IMG_20161120_143235_hu3c95012c9bdcf963a4c760d1366ba0c8_3239415_800x0_resize_q75_box.jpg"
            

        
            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&rsquo;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 <!-- raw HTML omitted -->finesse<!-- raw HTML omitted --> — as here in Jordan.</p>
  <a href='https://picturingjordan.com/2017/07/cleanliness-comes-from-faith/'>Read more →</a>
</article> 





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  <section class="sidebar-module sidebar-module-inset">
    <h4>About</h4>
    <p dir="auto"><em>Picturing Jordan</em>, sharing Jordan with the world — one picture at a time.  <a href="/about">Read more →</a></p>
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    <h4>Recent Posts</h4>
    <ol class="list-unstyled">


<li><a href="/2020/04/gadaras-octagonal-martyrium/">Gadara&rsquo;s Octagonal Martyrium</a></li>

<li><a href="/2020/01/iconic-roman-ruins-amman/">Iconic Roman Ruins in Amman</a></li>

<li><a href="/2018/08/buying-bedouin-fabric-amman/">Buying Bedouin Fabric in Amman</a></li>

<li><a href="/2018/07/saint-thaddeus-church-sunset/">Saint Thaddeus Church at Sunset</a></li>

<li><a href="/2018/02/greco-roman-ruins-pella/">Greco–Roman Ruins of Pella</a></li>

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    <h4>Links</h4>
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      <li><a href="https://alaninkenya.org">Alan in Kenya</a></li>
      
      <li><a href="https://englishbulgaria.net">English Bulgaria</a></li>
      
      <li><a href="https://mjanja.ch">Mjanja Tech</a></li>
      
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