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Modern-Day Travelers Walk the Ancient Path
Tyler Norris, Executive Director
Last week, on a trail lined with white and pink blossoming almond trees, I joined our Abraham Path field staff and a dozen local partners for two days in the Highlands of Northern Jordan.
On day one, our group walked 12 kilometers of the Path resting in the villages of Orjan and Baoun. In Orjan we were greeted by the gracious hospitality of two elderly sisters who beckoned us into their 100 year-old traditional home to serve hot mint tea and freshly baked bread with thyme and sesame. In Baoun, we were greeted by two dozen village elders, and enjoyed a lovingly prepared feast, with conversation inspired by the poems of the 15th century Sufi writer, Aisha al-Baounieh, who called this village her home. As we continued along the Path, we were often joined by local village youth trying out their English. Later in the day, we walked on to Tel Mar Elyas (the birthplace of the prophet Elijah) before calling it a day in the town of Ajloun, with its prominent 12th century castle - Qalaat ar Rabad.
Dawn of day two found us at a nearby eco-lodge, taking in a 360-degree view of the surrounding countryside, the snow-capped Mt. Hermon and the mountains of the Lebanon on the northwestern horizon. We spent the day in consultation with the Ministry of Tourism and local partners, formalizing a strong partnership with the Abraham Path Initiative to advance the cultural route in cooperation with local communities.
During my three-week journey through the Middle East, I witnessed first-hand the strong momentum in each country of the Abraham Path. Read an update on our progress by country.
The ancient route of Abraham is now beginning to open for modern-day travelers. While the path is not yet ready for individual travel, guided tours are planned for implementation beginning this year, with a few pilot tours already in place. If you are interested in being considered for a guided tour, please email us.
As one of our Palestinian partners, George Rishmawi, said:
| “Come… It is not just tourism, it’s a journey…the Abraham Path will bring economic prosperity to all the villages and communities the Path will go through. Today, the whole world is need of such initiatives, in need to exchange culture, break stereotypes, and try to embrace the path of real peace that starts in each one of us.” |
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A Walk Down the Wadi
On a Saturday morning in December, a group of tourism students from Yarmouk University in Jordan spent a day walking the Abraham Path in the Ajloun region of Jordan – the first of many thousands of young people who will, we hope, walk this way over the coming years. Together with their teacher, Dr. Khalid Magablih, the five young women and seven young men, all first year undergraduates at Yarmouk’s Department of Tourism, came to learn about the Abraham Path, to meet some of the locals who live along the route, and to enjoy a day’s winter walking in the northern highlands. Read More
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Yarmouk University students walk the Abraham Path in Jordan
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Jordanian Man Picking Olives
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Palestinian & Jordanian Teams
Journey Together
In November 2007, the Palestinian team traveled to
Jordan, where they joined the Jordanian team for a three-day expedition
along the route. Writing to his Palestinian colleagues at the end of
this journey, the Initiative’s Director of Path Development, Daniel
Adamson, described the Path in Jordan and the unique appeal of a
journey undertaken on foot:
“I hope that this expedition helped you to get a sense of what the
Abraham Path actually means in the landscape of rural Jordan. Moving on
foot like that allowed us to experience things that could never been
experienced from a car: the mother rocking the baby’s crib that was
hung from the branches of the olive tree while the family harvested
around them; the wood gatherer driving his loaded donkey through the
forest; the autumn crocus blooming among the rocks; the ant’s nest
swarming with life after the rain; the moon rise and sun set over the
holy mountain of Mar Elias. These are the real jewels of the Path –
these little details and human encounters which are strung together by
the track, always changing, always unpredictable. I feel certain that
more and more travelers, bored by monument-based tourism, will come
searching for this kind of experience on the Abraham Path."
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The purpose of the Abraham Path is to create a safe, beautiful, and inspiring cultural route of tourism and walking which follows the journey made by Abraham (Ibrahim) through the Middle East some 4000 years ago – a path which will act as a catalyst for sustainable tourism and economic development, as a platform for cross cultural exchange and mutual understanding, and as a focus for positive media coverage that highlights the rich heritage and hospitable people of the region.
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