Irbid, Jordan
Pella was an ancient city in what is now northwest Jordan, and contains ruins from the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Canaanite, Hellenistic and Islamic periods. It is located near a rich water source within the eastern foothills of the Jordan Valley, close to the modern village of Ṭabaqat Faḥl some 27 km (17 mi) south of the Sea of Galilee. The site is situated 130 km (81 mi) north of Amman: a drive of about two hours, and an hour southwest by car from Irbid, in the north of the country. Pella's ruins – predominantly temples, churches, and housing – have been partially excavated by teams of archaeologists; they attract thousands of tourists annually but especially in spring, during which time the area is awash with spring flowers.
Tabaqat Fahl, ancient Pella, is one of the longest continuously inhabited places in the Levant, set on the eastern foothills of the Jordan Valley in Irbid Governorate about 130 km north of Amman and half an hour's drive from Irbid. It appears in Egyptian texts of the Bronze Age as Pihil or Pehal; the Greeks renamed it Pella after the birthplace of Alexander the Great, it joined the Decapolis under Rome, and it reached its peak in the Byzantine period, when it expanded and filled with churches. The site carries a cherished name in Islamic history: here, in January 635, the Battle of Fahl was fought between the Muslim and Byzantine armies during the conquest of Syria, after which the city surrendered by treaty rather than by force, so its churches, markets and houses carried on without a break, and under the Umayyads it returned to its old Semitic name, Fahl. The earthquake of 749 then destroyed it, burying two-storey houses with everything inside and preserving for excavators finds from as far as Egypt and Arabia. Around 1350 the Mamluks built a stone mosque with a pulpit and an administrative complex here. The University of Sydney has excavated the site since 1979, uncovering a Bronze Age Canaanite temple, a large Byzantine church with its columns, a Roman odeon and bathhouse, the Mamluk mosque and fortifications going back to about 3400 BC. It is a quiet, uncrowded place, at its best in spring when wildflowers cover the slopes.
Visit in spring or early in the morning; the valley is hot for most of the year and there is little shade among the ruins, so allow one to two hours. Most of the site is still unexcavated and what you see is the church, the odeon, the mosque and the mound, so it is best combined in one outing with Umm Qais to the north or the Jordan Valley. A car is easier than the buses, and the site has a visitor centre. Modest dress and sturdy shoes suit the rough ground.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: en.wikipedia.org
No reviews yet
Share your experience and help other travellers decide.
