Discover the beauty of the City of a Thousand Columns...the ancient city of Jerash

Weather of Arabia - In Jerash, the civilizations of the Romans, Greece, and the East converge in a beautiful mixture that gives the city a distinctive historical character. In the spring, the city and its hills are covered in green, attracting hikers. Indeed, it is one of the most beautiful areas you may visit during that time of the year. The city of Jerash hosts the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, which revives the city and entertains its people and visitors with joyful summer evenings of folkloric dance, tarab, music and theatrical performances, over a period of three weeks.

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Jerash Visitor Center

The Jerash Visitor Center was established in the early 1970s, covering an area of one thousand square metres, and was renovated in 2015 in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The center provides guidance information about archaeological sites in Jerash.

The ancient city of Jerash

The ancient city of Jerash comes second after Petra on the list of favorite destinations in Jordan. The city shows signs of human life in a clear series of landmarks dating back more than 6,500 years.

Jerash lies on a plain, surrounded by wooded hills and fertile water basins. It was occupied by Pompey the Great in 63 BC and was under Roman rule. It is one of the ten Roman cities known as the “Decapolis.” The city experienced its golden age under the rule of the Romans, and was then known as “Gerace”, and today, the site is considered the best preserved Roman city in the world.

Jerash Archeology Museum

The Jerash Archeology Museum was established in 1923, and is located inside one of the catacombs of the courtyard of the Temple of Artemis. In 1985, the museum was moved to the old rest house, and the first exhibition held there was called “Jordan Through the Ages.” The museum is now dedicated to discoveries in the Jerash region, and its exhibits include the historical eras that this region witnessed, from the Stone Age all the way to the Mamluk era. The museum displays its exhibits in chronological order within the typological and functional classification sections.

Southern Theater

The Southern Theater was built during the reign of Emperor Domitian, between 90 and 92 AD, and can accommodate more than 3,000 spectators. The first floor of the ornate theater - initially two floors - was rebuilt and is still in use today. The acoustic properties of the stage enable the speaker located in the middle of the orchestra floor to transmit his voice to the entire amphitheater without having to raise his voice. There are two archways leading to the orchestra, and four arches behind the stage leading to the upper rows of seats. Some seats were once reserved for specific people, and Greek letters can still be seen engraved on them.

Northern Theater

The Northern Theater was built in 165 AD. In front of the theater is a colonnaded court with stairs leading to the entrance. The theater initially included 14 rows of seats and was used for performing arts, holding municipal meetings, and much more. In 235 AD, the size of the theater was doubled to its current capacity of 1,600 people. In the 5th century, the theater was no longer in use and many of its stones were taken to construct other buildings.

Nymphaeum

The ornate fountain was built in 191 AD and was dedicated to the nymphs. This type of fountain was common in Roman cities and was considered essential refreshment points for the entire city. The lower level of this well-preserved fountain was originally decorated with marble surfaces, while the upper level was decorated with stucco, with a half-dome ceiling. The water cascaded over sculptures of seven lion heads and into small basins at the side walkway, from where it overflowed into the underground sewer system.

Cathedral

The Roman Temple of Dionysus, which was built in the second century AD, is located at the end of the Street of Columns on the left, and a huge corridor rich in carvings leads to it. In the fourth century, the temple was converted into a Byzantine church now referred to as a “cathedral” (although there is no evidence that this church was any higher than the rest of the churches there). At the upper parts of the stairs and against the eastern wall of the cathedral, there is a shrine to the Virgin Mary with an inscription bearing her image with the archangels Michael and Gabriel.

Street of Columns / Cardo Maximus

Cardo Maximus Street, the main point of ancient Jerash, which is 800 meters long, is still paved with original stones, and even the wear of the horse carriages is still visible. There was an underground sewer system along the street with openings on either side of the road to drain rainwater.

The oval square

The spacious courtyard covers an area of 90 m x 80 m and is surrounded by a wide corridor and striking columns dating back to the first century AD. In the middle of the square are two altars, and a fountain was added in the seventh century AD. The square includes a central column that was recently built to carry the torch of the Jerash Festival.

Horse field

The height of this huge field was 245 metres, and its width was 52 metres. It could accommodate 15,000 spectators to watch chariot racing and other sports. Although the date of construction of this track is unknown, it can be estimated to be between the middle of the second century and the third century AD. It is now possible to go back to the ancient days when gladiators and chariot leaders appeared before the public, by re-enacting those events as part of the “Roman Army Life Experience with its Chariots” or what is called “RACE”, which is an activity concerned with giving the visitor a living experience. The life of the Roman army with its chariots.

Hadrian's Arch

This magnificent Arc of Triumph was built to commemorate Emperor Hadrian's visit to Jerash in 129 AD. The southern entrance was supposed to be the main gate to the city, but the expansion plans were never implemented.

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Experience the life of the Roman army with its war chariots

It is the largest show of its kind in the Middle East, and the largest show re-enacting Roman life in the world. This static display consists of 24 Roman soldiers in full gear, all demonstrating war formations and tactics. The show explains the history of the Roman army, their customs and traditions. The show also includes gladiator combat and chariot races.

Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts

The Jerash Festival is usually held at the end of July and the beginning of August, and presents a wide range of singers, musicians, folk groups, poetry readings, symphony orchestras, ballet, Shakespearean theater, handicrafts, and artistic performances. Jerash's colonnaded streets, squares and theaters provide a unique setting for performing these performances under the dewy midsummer sky. Performances are held in the various theaters of the archaeological site, and thousands of visitors enjoy walking through the ancient streets to admire the city’s antiquities, shop for handmade products, attend art exhibitions and book fairs, enjoy a good meal, or just contemplate the meeting of Eastern and Western art in one place within a huge cultural celebration. Men and women artisans display Bedouin rugs, jewelry, embroideries, glass, wood, metal, and ceramic pieces, and may even show you how they create their artistic creations!

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