Jerash (Jerash) is an ancient city in northern Jordan, 48 kilometres from Amman. This surviving shard of the Roman Empire is one of the best outside Italy. The majestic ruins of the city of Gerasa are Jordan's outstanding attraction, second only to the famous Petra. East of the ancient ruins is the modern city of Jerash with a population of 30,000.
History
The site is believed to have been inhabited since the Neolithic period. The earliest Arab inhabitants of what is now Jerash called their village Garshu. With the Romans it came to be called Gerasa. In the Gospel of Matthew there is a mention of "the country of Gergesa".
Roman era
Fragments of extant structures date from the Roman era. In 84 BC, Gerasa became part of the Roman Empire. The next few centuries were a period of prosperity for the city, which reached a population of 15,000 people.
The Roman Emperor Pompey counted Gerasa among the Decapolis, the ten famous ancient cities in the east of the empire. Jerash became a staging post at the crossroads of caravan trade routes from Egypt to Damascus and Palmyra. The city reached its peak of prosperity in the first half of the 3rd century.
Along with the much more widely known Petra and Palmyra, Jerash became one of the three great Roman cities. Its colonnaded streets, oval forum, three theatres, two temples and 18 early Byzantine churches gave reason to call the city the Pompeii of the East (although it died not from a volcanic eruption but from an earthquake and landslide).
Decline
At the end of the 3rd century, shipping began to displace land trade routes. Gerasa lost its former importance. In the VII century. the city was captured by the Persians, then - the Muslims. After an earthquake in the VIII century Gerasa became a village again. After some time it was hit by landslides that filled its streets with sand and silt. The villagers left the village and it was covered with sand. The famous sights of the town are not badly preserved, which is largely due to the centuries of being under the sand.
Second Birth
In the early 19th century, fragments of the ancient city were accidentally discovered by German traveller Ulrich Setzen. In 1878, the Ottoman sultan settled near the ancient city Circassians - Muslim refugees from Russia. The settlers used stones from ancient ruins to build their houses.
In parallel, scientific excavations were carried out. German archaeologists were the most successful: a well-preserved Roman mosaic discovered by them in 1907 is now on display in Berlin's Pergamon Museum. Much of the ancient city continues to be under sand, and archaeological excavations continue.
What to see
Photo: dimitrisvetsikas1969. Source: Pixabay
The ruins of Gerasa are ready-made sets for shooting films about the ancient Roman era. The sound accompaniment of tourist walks around the Roman city in the form of muezzin calls to prayer from the neighbouring Muslim Jerash is quite interesting.
The ruins of Gerasa are a ready-made set for filming films of the ancient Roman era.
The triumphal arch of Hadrian's Gate (Hadrian's Gate) was erected in 129 on the occasion of the visit of Emperor Hadrian. The arch of his name is the main entrance to the ancient city.
Just behind it is the Hippodrome, 244 metres long and 52 metres wide, built in the 2nd-3rd centuries. It hosted horse and chariot races, which could be watched by up to 15,000 spectators from the stands.
The Hippodrome was built in the 2-3th centuries.
Oval forum (Oval forum) with dimensions of 90X80 metres is located in front of the temple of Zeus. Later it was used as a market square. From it begins an 800-metre long street of colonnades Cardo Maximus ("Main Street"), on both sides of which once stood 260 Corinthian columns. Traces of chariots have been preserved on the stone pavement.
Located on a separate hill, the Temple of Zeus was the main sanctuary of Gerasa. It was destroyed by a massive earthquake and landslide in the 8th century, but some of the 15 metre high columns survived.
The present cathedral (Jerash Cathedral) in Byzantine style was rebuilt in the middle of the IV century from the Roman temple of Dionysus of the II century. It was surrounded by Christian temples built in the V century. In them the mosaic floors attract attention. They are best preserved in the church of St Cosmas and Damian, as well as in the churches of St George and St John the Baptist. Nearby is the church of the Virgin Mary.
The Temple of Artemis, built in 150, was dedicated to the patron saint of the city. You can still see its staircases, courtyards and gates. Its 12 columns, of which 11 have survived, gave the building the effect of floating in the air.
The two-storey monumental fountain-sanctuary of Nymphaeum (in honour of the water nymphs) was built at the end of the 2nd century. The lower floor was lined with marble and the upper floor was decorated with frescoes, some of which can still be seen today. Streams of water flowed through seven lion heads. The fountain made a strong impression on the inhabitants of the deserted places.
Two theatres have also survived, the North II century and the South I century, with stunning acoustics. It has been restored for theatre productions. The Greek letter markings of the audience seats are still visible.
Visit
Photo: Graham-H. Source: Pixabay
Jerash is linked to Amman by a modern motorway leading further into Syria. Alpha Daily Tours organises tours to Jerash, starting from the Alpha terminal on the Seventh Ring Road in Amman at 9 o'clock. The excursion is a half-day tour and costs around 100 USD. Some travellers prefer a full-day combination tour that also visits the Wadi al-Arab Valley (the desert Moses led the Jews through for 40 years) and the town of Umm Qais (the biblical Gadara) to get to know Jordan better.
Independent tourists can choose more budget ways to visit Jerash - taxi for 40 USD, car hire for 10 USD, bus from Tarbabur bus station for 5 USD. Such trips, of course, are incomparable with excursions in terms of cognitive value.
At the South Gate there is an information centre where you can get the necessary information, guides and maps, buy tickets to visit the most ancient city and performances. An entrance ticket to the archaeological site costs 12 JOD (Jordanian dinars) - about 17 USD.
For modern travellers, there are paid performances "resurrecting" the Roman military art of legionnaires, gladiator fights and chariot races. Shows are held daily, except Friday, at 11 and 15 (in winter at 14) hours.
Those who wish can visit the Jerash Museum for free, where objects that were discovered during archaeological excavations are on display.
Every year in the heat of July in Jerash, against the backdrop of the ruins of the Roman city, a large-scale arts festival with the participation of local and foreign artists, as well as craft fairs are organised. The programme of the July festival is very diverse in terms of genres and participants. The festival is designed to distract travellers from the almost unbearable heat.
In the high tourist season, the ruins are open to tourists from 8 am to 7 pm. In summer, it is very hot under the scorching sun, so it is recommended to come in the mornings or evenings. In winter, the object closes at 16 hours. There is a lot of walking on the stones, so it is strongly advised to wear comfortable shoes for such walks.
