Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world.
It was a quiet day in Jordan’s capital, Amman. The city had just endured nearly two weeks of frequent civil defense sirens, announcing missiles crossing Jordanian airspace during the Israel-Iran war in June.
Since a ceasefire was holding, I took a break from my post coordinating Middle East coverage to go see some local sights. My colleague, correspondent Jane Arraf, suggested a few highlights to visit, and I chose the closest one: the Amman Citadel.
I never imagined what a sacred historical place it would be.
Sitting atop one of the seven hills overlooking the city, the site is like an archaeological mosaic where fragments of paganism, Christianity and Islam from different eras and empires coexist. And I had the place almost all to myself, except for staff and just a few other visitors quietly wandering the grounds.
One of the stunning displays is this colossal hand sitting beside ruins of an ancient Roman temple, which date back to the second century. Researchers believe the hand belonged to a massive statue of Hercules. Nearby are the remains of a Byzantine church and an Umayyad palace. Walking these hallowed grounds, each monument contains its unique architecture and symbolism, each brings its own meaning to the mosaic.
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