Jerash Roman Ruins

I visit this place on my last day in Jordan. The entrance tix is cheap. 8JD about 8USD and MYR32. :) Bit expensive actually. I have no idea at all about this place at first. And i wear my heels wedges. Great. So damn tired. And I didn't have enough energy to explore the whole place.

Jerash, located 48 km north of Amman and nestled in a quiet valley among the mountains of Gilead, is the grandeur of Imperial Rome being one of the largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the World outside Italy. To this day, its paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, theaters, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates remain in exceptional condition.

This fascinating city makes a great day-trip from Amman, particularly in spring, when the wildflowers are in bloom. The drive will take you less than an hour, but will transport you 2000 years back in time.

Within the remaining city walls, archeologists have found the ruins of settlements dating back to the Neolithic Age, indicating human occupation of this location for more than 6500 years. This is not surprising, as the area is ideally suited for human habitation. Jerash has a year-round supply of water, while its altitude of 500 meters gives it a temperate climate and excellent visibility over the surrounding low-lying areas.

The history of Jerash is a blend of the Greco-Roman world of the Mediterranean basin and the ancient traditions of the Arab Orient. Indeed, the name of the city itself reflects this interaction. The earliest Arabic/Semitic inhabitants named their village Garshu. The Romans later Hellenised the former Arabic name into Gerasa, and at the end of the 19th century, the Arab and Circassian inhabitants of the small rural settlement transformed the Roman Gerasa into the Arabic Jerash.

Visitors to Jerash in July are in for a special treat, when the Jerash Festival transforms the ancient city into one of the World's liveliest and most spectacular cultural events. Two thousand years ago, the great urban trading cities of the Middle East were born when Middle Eastern and Western societies came together in a tremendous synthesis of commerce, art, and culture.

I had no idea about the Jerash ruins when i first went to Jordan. Our cab driver recommended them to us. They are about an hour from downtown Amman.

The ruins are amazing. They just keep on going and going. You can walk around and climb through out them. There are a couple of ampitheaters both still in good condition, a hippodrome, temples, columns, and much more.

I definitly recommend seeing it.

Bring bottled water and comfortable shoes.

If your in Jordan you really must not forget to visit Jerash.

While there's still not that crowded tourist you can enjoy these ruins in a half a day.

Impresseing in what a condition some ruines are. Only a hour drive from Amman in the north.

just amazing

Known as the biggest and most preserved Roman site outside Italy – this town was built in 100 BC era and known as one of Decapolis (10 cities) which held important roles in the ancient trading and civilization around what now called Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.

As other part surrounded this towns, Jerash was flourished during Roman period, then Ummayad era took over and and Persian later – this has contributing some impressive remains.

This site was around 800k sq meters and are very well preserved – consisting of magnificent Hadrian’s arch, hippodrome, oval forum, theaters, Zeus and Artemis temple and a fine – long colonnaded road with lots of pillars still stay still.

They have a show called Chariot Race with the horses and chariot in the hippodrome – which unfortunately wasn’t on that day.

You need to allocate at least half day here to be able to cover almost the whole area – and even longer if you want to really focus and see more around.

One of the great spot was the top entrance of the theater as we went from top of the hill and upon entering – found out ourselves reached the top part of the rounded seats and looking to the stage down there in the middle. There is a music show held here occasionally (that explains the bagpipe I found laying there at the bottom).