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The Glossary
Jerash Travel Guide
Though the Decapolis city of Jerash, also known as Gerasa (“Antioch on the Golden River”) was never buried by a volcano, it is sometimes called the "Pompeii of Middle East” for its well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins. Hemmed among the mountains of Gilead, the city of Jerash is an impressive place possessing the grandeur of ancient Rome.
A blast from the past
A walk through the colonnaded streets of Jerash is like a journey back in time. Visitors can enter the city as its Roman inhabitants did sans the toga or chiton (Roman garb). They can tread the monumental South Gate and the imposing Oval Plaza without the fear of getting caught by the fierce Persian warriors who invaded the city in 614 AD. They are however greeted by tracks of chariot wheels still visible in the road amid the honking of cars and other utility vehicles and the occasional shoppers walking silently beneath the covered sidewalks.
A modern metropolis
Little by little, Jerash was transformed into a thriving metropolis and now is Jordan's most popular attraction, next to Petra. The ruins of the site have been carefully preserved from the destruction and encroachment not only of the city's expansion but of the parchedness of the desert. Today, gone are the timeless scenes of its yesteryears; what is left is a landscape crammed with painted statues, old buildings renovated and adorned with shell motifs; churches lavishly decked with Tuscan-style terracotta tiled roofs in attempt to imitate a classic European town.
Nonetheless, Jerash is still an important archeological site which continually attracts visitors from all over. Among the landmarks that merit attention include the Hadrian Arch, built to commemorate Emperor Hadrian's first visit to the city. Another is the Hippodrome, the place used for chariot races in the ancient times.
The Cardo or the main road is a place where visitors can have a leisurely walk in the afternoon. Here they can check out the shops lining the street or visit the Roman Temple of Dionysus or Zeus to continue their journey down memory lane. Also worth the look-see, is the Nymphaeum, along with the Jerash Archeological Museum where valuable artifacts such as coins, statuary and sarcophagi discovered during excavation are displayed.
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