+962 77 50400 18
[email protected]
Jerash is an amazing blend of Greco-Roman and Oriental influences. A great place to visit during the spring with its beautiful rolling hills and lush greenery, Jerash has a rhythm not seen anywhere else in Jordan. Also, every year Jerash hosts the Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, a three week summer program filled with folk dance, music, and theatrical performances.
Jerash is on the list of favorite destinations in Jordan is the ancient city of Jerash, which boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years.
Jerash lies on a plain surrounded by hilly wooded areas and fertile basins. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities of the Decapolis League.
The city’s golden age came under Roman rule, during which time it was known as Gerasa, and the site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world.
The second most famous and visited site in Jordan, is the Greco-Roman city of Jerash. This great city was known from biblical times and represented a great center during the Roman Empire’s rule of the area.
The Greco- Roman city of Jerash is one of Jordan’s most captivating places when visiting the Kingdom. Located only an hour’s drive from the capital city of Amman, Jerash, (once known as ‘Gerasa’) during Roman times, is one of the ten Decapolis Cities in the world, and is amongst the largest and best -preserved Roman sites outside of Rome.
Although Jerash dates back to the days of Alexander the Great, the city’s golden age came under Roman rule, as the Romans developed the settlement considerably from its conquest in 63BC to its heyday of the 110s AD, when Roman Emperor, Hadrian ruled the entire empire.
Among the many fascinating facts about Jerash is that it was hidden for centuries in sand before being unearthed and restored over the past 70 years. To this day, its colonnaded streets, baths, theaters, plazas, and arches remain in excellent condition.
The Jerash Archaeological Museum was established in 1923 inside one of the vaults of the courtyard of the Artemis Temple. In 1985, the museum was moved to the renovated old rest house and the first special exhibition there was entitled “Jordan Through the Ages.” The museum is now dedicated solely to discoveries from the Jerash region and its collections span the archaeological periods in the area, from the Neolithic up to the Mameluk period. The displays are in chronological order with typological and functional divisions
roman army & chariot experience (race)
RACE is the biggest regular show of any kind in the Middle East and the only large scale Roman re- enactment performance in the world. The show contains a performance of twenty-four fully equipped legionnaires showing their battle formations and tactics. The narrative explains the history of the Roman Army and their traditions and customs. The show also includes gladiator fights and chariot races
The most common is to get to Jerash as an excursion from Amman, dedicating half a day or a full day. However, those most passionate about Roman culture can spend more than a day studying and discovering the archaeological park, which will force them to spend the night in one of the few hotels in the city.
In both cases, the most comfortable option is the vehicle, whether it is a taxi, a rental car or a private vehicle with a driver. The distance from Amman is 40 km and the journey time is usually around 45 minutes. On the other hand, if you want to travel here from other points further away from Jordan, this is an indicative table of distances and durations: