Art Pursuits - Jordan

Art Pursuits Study Tour Programme

Jordan
Ancient cities, Biblical sites and desert castles

21 – 28 March 2009

Day 1	Afternoon flight with Royal Jordanian Airlines from London Heathrow to Amman. Overnight in Amman.
Day 2	Explore Amman, Jordan's thriving capital. Its citadel was the religious and political centre of the ancient city, where the remains of the Temple of Heracles, the Umayyad palace and the Archaeological Museum are to be found. By coach to see the dramatic ruins of the splendid Roman city of Jerash, with triumphal arches, forum, hippodrome, theatres, hippodrome and temples. Overnight in Amman.
Day 3	Coach excursion to visit several of Jordan's 'Desert Castles'. Domain of Umayyad caliphs in the seventh and eighth centuries, these extraordinary structures combine palace and fortress. Qasr Amra, a World Heritage Site, is richly decorated with figurative mural paintings. The black basalt fort at Azraq later became the headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia. Overnight in Amman.
Day 4	By coach along the Kings' Highway to visit the city of Madaba, with fascinating Byzantine mosaics, Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have glimpsed the Promised Land, Umm ar-Rasa (another World Heritage site), and the Crusader castle of Karak. Overnight in Petra.
Day 5	Today we start to discover one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, the fabulous Nabatean city of Petra, half-built, half-carved into the rock, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture. Overnight in Petra.
Day 6	A second day at Petra, followed by an excursion to Wadi Rum, to see the sun set over the most magnificent of Jordan's desert landscapes. Overnight in Petra.
Day 7	By coach to Siq al-Barid or 'Little Petra', with carved facades and chambers, then to the Sanctuary of Lot with the remains of a seventh-century church, and on through a spectacular landscape to the Dead Sea. Overnight at the Dead Sea.
Day 8	Transfer to the airport for a lunchtime flight with Royal Jordanian Airlines from Amman to London Heathrow

Please note that at this stage the programme is still provisional. Although we aim at the greatest degree of accuracy from the outset, some details, especially the order of visits, may be subject to change.