Arabian Adventures

Image credits: amerune

Spending a Year Abroad in Jordan, Elinor Bendell gives us a rundown of one of the region’s more stable nations.

The Middle East. Most sane people would not choose this area as a travel destination any time soon. I am not one of these people.

I have elected to spend my Year Abroad in the Middle East, initially from September for three months and then for a further three months come January. Fortunately the country I am flying away to is Jordan, a country which seems relatively stable compared to its rather more discordant surrounding states and territories: Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Israel (not to mention Iraq with which Jordan shares a border).

Having gained its independence from Britain in 1946, and despite being involved in various conflicts over the West Bank (which at one point belonged to Jordan before being handed over to Israel in 1988), the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has undergone a fair amount of political, economic and cultural development since its creation. It has a strong constitutional monarchy and whilst the idea of a king actively participating in politics as the head of state seems rather alien to most of the Western world now, the Jordanian population – whilst demanding some political, economic and governmental reform – generally does not seem too perturbed by this state of affairs. Perhaps, and unsurprisingly given their history, they prefer their monarchy to be involved in their politics rather than any foreign, political figures. Whilst the Jordanian population may not be completely satisfied with their country’s situation they certainly have a much wider political field than a lot of their Middle Eastern counterparts. There are, at the time of writing, at least thirty-six different parties who are recognised on the Jordanian political platform. This is slightly more of a choice than in Saudi Arabia, for example, where there are no political parties and all appointments are made by the King and the royal family, making it a much less democratic system.

The main comment I have received from most people when they are told where I will be spending my Year Abroad is the weather. “You’ll get a great tan,” they cry and I wish I could reply with “I know,” and allow it to be one of the few moments I could feel smug about my choice of destination but, alas, it is not so. The average temperature in Jordan between November and April is fourteen degrees Celsius and snow is not an unusual occurrence in Amman, my soon-to-be hometown. This does mean, however, that for the first two months of my stay I shall be making the most of the warm weather and sending as many postcards and photos as possible.

Still, even when it is warm my enjoyment of it, and tanning ability, will be severely limited by the dress code. Whilst there are no rules as to how one should dress in Jordan, it remains a relatively traditional society and therefore hot pants, vests and crop tops are out; harem pants, loose long sleeved shirts and scarves are in. Although my winter wardrobe is pretty extensive from living in England, this far more conservative form of summer dressing is new to me. Arabian women are known for wearing many a designer underneath their abayas and burkas and, as a Western girl, my attitude to extreme heat is the fewer, smaller and thinner my clothes the better. The difference will be both a point of interest and perhaps a challenge to overcome.

Whilst I know that I like certain Middle Eastern dishes (falafel and koftas being two of the many meals I am happy to indulge in) I am also one of the many students who enjoys feasting on late night fast food runs and Dominos orders, so learning about the food will be highly interesting. Whilst flipping through one of the many guidebooks on Jordan that I now possess, one thing on the map of Amman immediately caught my eye. The only restaurant specifically noted was a McDonald’s. Yes, that’s right: I can find a Big Mac in Jordan. However, it is nowhere near the centre of Amman; in fact it is not even in the suburbs. It is very much outside the confines of the city and so it seems to me that a trip to this McDonalds will not simply be a quick, five-minute jaunt down to the local fast food place but will have to be a planned and anticipated trip. Missing out on a Middle Eastern McDonalds is not an option, especially as they tend to change their menus depending on the country in which they are situated. I will not be finding any bacon, or sausage here – falafel burgers perhaps?

As for everyday meals, apparently the street food is delicious and a lot safer to eat than makeshift ‘English’ meals which are often cooked improperly and can cause horrendous food poisoning which I am keen to avoid. Having been a self-catered fresher I do enjoy cooking so I am hoping to learn lots of new recipes to share with my family and friends on my return. The market experience, however, is not one I am looking forward to, as live chickens for sale are one of my concerns, as happens in many market cultures; I will not only have to pick the one I want them to kill right then and there but also pluck and gut them before cooking. That is not my idea of fun no matter how much of a cultural experience it might be!

At the time of writing, I have two weeks until I move to Amman and as far as I know, I do not yet have a flat. This is more than a little worrying but staying positive and thinking of all the exciting experiences ahead of me is keeping me sane and smiling. I hope you all have a great Freshers’ Week in Great Britain.

Wish me luck!

Elinor Bendell

Richard III: saint, sinner, murderer, victim or pragmatist?

Conor Byrne digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body of Richard III.

Richard III, ‘probably the most controversial king in English history’. Picture Credits: ChristineGibbs

Earlier this month, at the University of Leicester it was announced to a highly excited Britain that the body unearthed the previous autumn in a city council car park at Greyfriars, Leicester, was indeed that of the late medieval king Richard III. Scientific analysis indicated that the king had most likely been killed either by a blow from a large bladed weapon which cut off the back off his skull, or by a halberd thrust which gruesomely penetrated his brain. The bones of the body were found to be in a good condition, apart from the fact that the corpse’s feet were missing.

Archaeologists and scientists confirmed that the spine was severely curved, bearing out contemporary sources which held the king to be a hunchback. It is likely that this curvature made one shoulder visibly higher than the other, although this may not have meant that Richard was unable to partake in an active lifestyle. The bones were found to be those of a male in his late twenties to early thirties, which further confirms that the body was Richard’s, who was aged 32 at his death. Richard Buckley announced this Monday: “it is the academic conclusion of the University of Leicester that beyond reasonable doubt, the individual exhumed at Greyfriars in September 2012 is indeed Richard III, the last Plantagenet King of England”. Mitochondrial DNA evidence, soil analysis, and dental tests further confirmed the identification. The Mayor of Leicester, Sir Peter Soulsby, has stated that Richard will be buried at Leicester Cathedral in early 2014, although others proposed that the king should be buried in Westminster Abbey due to his royal status (which Queen Elizabeth, apparently discreetly, opposed), while others argued that the former king should be interred in York Minster, apparently Richard’s preferred place of burial.

Probably the most controversial king in English history, Richard was the youngest son born to Richard, duke of York and his wife Cecily Neville in 1452. Following his brother Edward’s successful usurpation of the English throne in 1461, Richard became Duke of Gloucester and acquired substantial power and influence in the north, where he was much liked and respected. He later married Anne Neville, the daughter of the 16th Earl of Warwick and former Princess of Wales. Edward’s premature death in 1483 created a serious power vacuum at court, with many arguing that Richard feared the hostility of the queen’s family, the Woodvilles, and their desire to exclude Richard from power. In view of this, Richard seized control of the new child king, Edward V, and his younger brother Richard, and installed them in the Tower of London, before executing his political rival Hastings and others of Queen Elizabeth’s family.

What happened is a matter of fierce debate and considerable controversy. Richard’s loyal supporters fiercely deny this, but it seems most likely that it was on Richard’s orders that his nephews, the Princes in the Tower as they hauntingly became known, were murdered, so that he could himself become king of England. As far as facts go, the two boys were last seen in the autumn of 1483, before conspicuously disappearing forevermore. Those who believe that Richard was innocent of their deaths have failed to answer one simple question: if Richard never ordered the boys’ murders, then why did he never produce them and show them to the public, to counter these malicious claims? The fact that he never did so, and remained silent on this issue, strongly suggests that he was indeed responsible for his nephews’ murders. Richard seized the crown in June 1483 and was crowned King of England. His wife, Anne, became queen.

Richard’s body was unearthed the previous autumn in a city council car park in Greyfriars, Leicester. Picture credits: kiranparmar

Richard was never a popular king, largely because he was both a usurper and because he was believed to be responsible for the murders of the popular princes. The death of his queen in suspicious circumstances in 1485, amidst rumours that Richard poisoned her in order to marry again, further blackened his reputation. Facing rebellion in 1483, and further troubles from his political rival Henry Tudor, Richard finally faced Henry in battle at Bosworth in 1485. The transfer of support of the Stanley family, who had previously supported the king, in battle proved decisive, weakening Richard’s army and eventually leading to the king’s death, deserted by his men in the face of a vicious onslaught from Henry’s army.

During Richard’s reign, the king had attracted praise from some writers, but his reputation was mercilessly destroyed by Shakespeare who depicted him as deformed, evil, and a murderer. In an age which identified deformity with evil, other Tudor writers enthusiastically exploited Richard’s outward deformities as a sign of his inner evil. The works of the Richard III Society have earnestly tried to salvage Richard’s reputation. Whatever his true character, the news this month has proved highly exciting for all lovers of medieval history.