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French media delegation visits Christian sites in Jordan

By Rajive Cherian - Sep 16,2017 - Last updated at Sep 16,2017

The dome of a church is seen from the banks of the Jordan River (Photo by Rajive Cherian)

AJLOUN — For a glimpse into the long history of Arab Christians in the region, a French media delegation on Saturday completed a two-day tour of Christian sites around the Kingdom.

The media tour was organised by the Paris-based Arab World Institute (AWI), in cooperation with the Jordan Tourism Board, prior to an exhibition titled “Christians of the Orient”, scheduled to be held in Paris from September 25 till January 25, said Gilles Gauthier, adviser to Jack Lang, president of the institute and former minister.

“The aim of the trip is to better understand the history of Arab Christians and the Arab culture,” Gauthier told The Jordan Times.

This tour is an opportunity to shed light on the richness of Jordan’s religious and cultural heritage, an embassy statement said, adding that it will also help strengthen tourism between the two countries.

On Friday, the group visited Tell Mar Elias and Lady of the Mount Monastery in Ajloun, 70km northwest of Amman, followed by a visit to Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site on Saturday.

According to Christian traditions, the site of Tell Mar Elias is associated with Prophet Elias. Anjara, located in the north of Jordan, contains Lady of the Mountain Church — a rebuilt cave that is venerated as a place where Jesus and his mother Mary passed during their journey to the Sea of Galilee. Anjara was designated by the Vatican as one of the Millennium 2000 pilgrimage sites, according to the Jordan Tourism Board website.

The itinerary of the 10-member delegation — consisting of seven journalists and AWI officials — also includes Lebanon, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. 

 

The group is scheduled to return to the Kingdom on Tuesday, when they will visit historical and cultural landmarks in the capital before wrapping up their trip on Wednesday.

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