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 I

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