A Journey to the Middle East

By Richard Wende, Africa and Arabia specialist

A journey to the Middle East

I have been to Syria and Jordan many times whilst leading overland expeditions from the UK to Egypt and this time was no less interesting than the first. Every time I go I learn an interesting fact about a bygone era. This time though I was lucky enough to visit some of the Beautiful boutique hotels and guesthouses that used to be a family home but have now opened their doors to the discerning traveller eager to explore these fascinating countries.

Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba.Jordan has a rich history, its location in the central Middle East has long made it a prized possession. During its long history, Jordan has seen numerous civilisations, including such ancient eastern civilisations as the Sumerian, Akkadian, Israelite, Babylonian, Assyrian, Mesopotamian, and Persian empires. Jordan was for a time part of Pharaonic Egypt, and spawned the native Nabatean civilisation that left rich archaeological remains at Petra.

Syria was formerly a French mandate and attained independence in 1946, but can trace its roots to the Eblan civilization in the third millennium BC. Syria's historic sites rival those of its Middle Eastern neighbours; it also lays claim to the oldest continuously occupied city (Damascus vies for the title with Aleppo), the Crusader castle (Crac des Chevaliers) and the best preserved Roman theatre in Bosra.