Duration: | 2 Day(s) - 1 Night(s) |
Tour Category: | Archaeological Tours |
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, handsome 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.
Explore More About Jerash:
There are few places in the world where one has the opportunity to see history re-enacted, but only in the ancient hippodrome of Jerash can you witness chariots race or gladiators in full regalia clash on the site where Roman athletes and warriors walked and fought.
Hidden for hundreds of years under the shifting sands of Jordan, picturesque ruins are all that remains of a once-great ancient city that saw the likes of Alexander the Great, the emperors Trajan and Hadrian, and the mathematician Nichomachas.
Today, Jerash is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Middle East and is a popular destination for those who would like to witness the majesty of Roman architecture, marveling at extraordinarily well-preserved mosaics and carvings, and see full-speed horse-drawn chariot races.
The Jerash Heritage Company puts on daily spectacles known as the “Roman Army and Chariot Experience”, with 45 “legionaries” in showing off battle tactics in armor, gladiators battling, and a seven-lap race in Roman chariots.
Jerash's archaeological remains, despite the ravages of time, remain very well preserved, and there have been frequent excavations of the city since the 1920s and 1930s CE. Much is still yet to be excavated and unearthed, and Jerash's importance is just beginning to be understood and better appreciated.