Jerash, Jordan
Jerash, ancient Gerasa, is one of the most complete Roman cities surviving outside Italy, 48 km north of Amman among the green hills of northern Jordan. Founded in the Hellenistic period, sometimes credited to Alexander the Great around 331 BC, it joined the Decapolis league of cities under Roman protection and reached its peak in the 2nd century AD, when the emperor Hadrian wintered here in 129–130 AD and the triumphal arch that now greets visitors was raised in his honour. In the Byzantine age the city filled with churches, fourteen in all, and under the Umayyads it prospered again with shops, pottery workshops, a mint that struck coins bearing the name "Jerash" in Arabic and a large mosque, until the earthquake of 749 ruined it; it lay abandoned until Circassian settlers revived it in 1878. Visitors enter through Hadrian's Arch, pass the Hippodrome and the South Gate, and reach the unique Oval Plaza ringed by Ionic columns. From it the Cardo, the colonnaded main street, runs about 800 m, past the Nymphaeum (191 AD), the Cathedral and the Temple of Artemis on its terrace. Above the plaza sits the South Theatre, seating 3,000 and famous for its acoustics, with a smaller North Theatre further on and the Temple of Zeus looking down on the plaza. Since 1981 the South Theatre has hosted the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts every summer. Jerash drew about 330,000 visitors in 2018, making it Jordan's second most visited site after Petra.
Arrive when the site opens, before the coach groups and the heat; there is almost no shade, so allow two to three hours and bring water and a hat. Buses from Tabarbour or Sweileh in Amman take about an hour for 1 JOD, or a taxi costs roughly 8–10 JOD one way. The Roman Army and Chariot Experience runs in the Hippodrome twice daily (11:30 and 14:30) on a separate 12 JOD ticket and is a hit with children. Entry is free with the Jordan Pass, and the archaeological museum inside the site is free. Jerash is a conservative Jordanian town with mosques and simple local restaurants near the gate; modest dress is appropriate.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
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