Today, the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan (that's what the stamp in my passport calls this land) is mostly a Muslim land, but in the time when Petra was inhabited by the descendants of the present-day royals, there was also a settlement of Romans in the locale known as Jarash. This ancient Roman city was once the seat of obvious power, as visitors today will tell you. In fact, it remains one of the best preserved examples of ancient Roman civilization even to this day.
Walking through the cobblestone streets, climbing through the hills (which are relatively easy to manouver except when you're recovering from foot surgery and have a walking cast), visitors can almost hear water trickling from the once-alive fountain at the crossroads of the city, a place where sculpted nymphs may very well have provided a local watering hole for the youth of the time. Like all the Roman settlements we've visited on this trip, Jarash has an amphitheatre, a hypodrome and all other characteristic markings of wealth and influence typical to the time.
All things must come to an end though. What was once the seat of great power, now rests in ruins. The only reminder of the glory days for Jarash are the stones that once stood one on another, the walls that defined great gathering places, and columns that still speak of the power and influence the Romans commanded.
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