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Jordan Tourism Guide |
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Jerash |
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Second only to Petra in tourist appeal, the
ancient city of Jarash is remarkable for its
long chain of human occupation. Here at a
well-watered site in the hills of Gilead,
remains from Neolithic times have been found, as
well as Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad and
others. Jarash's golden age, however, arrived
with Roman rule. Today it is acknowledged as one
of the best-preserved province cities of the
Roman Empire. Jarash was a member of the
Decapolis, a dynamic commercial league of ten
Graeco-Roman cities.
When Emperor Hadrian visited Jarash in 129 AD,
it was already thriving. To honour its guest,
the city raised a Triumphal Arch, just one part
of a
massive building programme. Today you can walk
beneath the imposing South Gate and then make
your way up the 'Street of Columns' - the Roman
Cardo - running 600 metres north from the Oval
Plaza. As you step over the tracks of chariot
wheels, still visible in the paving stones,
imagine prosperous citizens window-shopping
beneath a covered sidewalk.
Jarash was an open city of freestanding
structures richly embellished with marble and
granite. Its engineering was so advanced that
large parts of the city still survive today.
Much more has been painstakingly restored by
archaeological teams from around the world.
JARASH FESTIVAL
Held at Jarash from about mid July to
mid-August, this festival features folklore
dances by local and international groups,
ballet, concerts, opera, popular singers, sales
of traditional handicrafts, local theatrical
plays and poetry competitions... all in the
brilliantly floodlit dramatic surroundings of
the Jarash ruins. The Jarash Festival is a
must-see if you're visiting Jordan at the time,
and worth coming for specially. Programmes are
available from the Jarash Festival office, tel.
(06) 5675199.
WHAT TO SEE
The star attraction in Jarash are the ruins
themselves. Guidebooks, maps and information are
available from the Visitors' Centre near the
South Gate, tel. (02) 6351272. Opening hours
07:30-19:00 daily in winter, 07:30-20:30 in
summer. Admission fees for Jarash are 5 JD.
Jarash Archaeological Museum situated in the
ruins, tel. (02) 6352267. Hours 08:30-17:00 in
winter, 08:30-18:00 in summer, 10:00-16:00 on
official holidays. Opens daily. Admission free.
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