Alan Orth
fdd31782fa
This allows me to use Hugo's image resizing to create img srcsets where the client downloads an appropriate image depending on their screen size. I had to go back and find original photos for each of these posts because Hugo was resizing my already-optimized versions and they looked horrible. Unfortunately I couldn't find originals for these posts: - aqaba-dirty-disappointing - contemporary-arab-design-jrf-showroom - eid-mubarak-neighborhood-dumpster - no-noise-near-noisy-mosque - red-orange-yellow-rice-bab-al-yemen Hugo will fall back to looking in the static directory for these.
22 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
22 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
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images = ["2019-11-01-amman-citadel.jpg"]
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date = "2020-01-16T09:23:20+02:00"
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title = "Iconic Roman Ruins in Amman"
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slug = "iconic-roman-ruins-amman"
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tags = ["Amman","Roman"]
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categories = ["Architecture"]
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description = "The ruins of the citadel's Roman Temple of Hercules are an icon of Amman."
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{{< figure src="2019-11-01-amman-citadel.jpg" title="The ruins of the Roman Temple of Hercules" >}}
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Jordan's location in the geographical "near east" has exposed it to dozens of civilizations over the course of history. In the last three thousand years alone the region has invariably fallen under the Persian, Greek, Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman empires, the legacies of which are often still visible today.
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One prominent example of Amman's Roman legacy is the ruins of the [Temple of Hercules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Hercules_(Amman)) atop _Jabal Al-Qalʿa_ — the "hill of the castle" (or citadel), one of the city's original seven hills. Towering above the bustling center of downtown Amman, these few surviving pillars are a literal icon of the city. From here you can also see other notable Roman-era sights such as the [Theater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Theater_(Amman)), [Odeon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odeon_theater_(Jordan)), and [Nymphaeum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaeum_(Amman)), as well as contemporary landmarks like the Abu Darwish mosque.
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Other attractions at the citadel include partial remains of the [Umayyad Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Palace) and a museum exhibiting artifacts from human activity in the area where you can see tools, pottery, coins, etc dating back to the Iron, Bronze, and Neolithic ages.
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I recommend visiting the citadel one hour before sunset when the light becomes a warm, golden orange color. Entrance to the citadel is included in the [Jordan Pass](https://www.jordanpass.jo/), so make sure to bring yours with you if you have one.
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