Romans far and wide

One of the most fascinating things about the middle east is just how much of the history of the world's civilisations is centred here, and how incredibly accessible it is. There are a huge number of sites, such as here in Jerash, testifying to the region's importance to a great many pivotal points in human history.

It was here that people first started cultivating the fertile crescent, cradle of the first civilisation; here that saw the bloody beginnings of the world's first empire; here that subsequently represented the farthest boundary of the most influential empire the world has seen; here that a young man, with an incredible vision and influence over those he met, walked and preached the word of a new and single god; and here that has seen the incredible highs and lows of a religion and empire based on another prophetic man, who saw the same god, but with a different vision.

None of which I'm interested in, of course - I just like taking pretty pictures...