EXPLORE THE CITY
Jerash (Arabic: جرش, Ancient Greek: Γέρασα) is the capital and the largest city of Jerash Governorate, Jordan, with a population of 50,745 as of 2015. It is located 48 kilometres (30 mi) north of the capital of Jordan, Amman.
The history of the city is a blend of the Greco-Roman world of the Mediterranean Basin and the ancient traditions of the Arab Orient. The name of the city reflects this interaction. The earliest Arab/Semitic inhabitants, who lived in the area during the pre-classical period of the 1st millennium BCE, named their village Garshu. The Romans later Hellenized the former Arabic name of Garshu into Gerasa. Later, the name transformed into the Arabic Jerash.
The ancient ruins of Jerash are an absolute must-see for anyone with an interest in history. People settled in the area during the Neolithic (7500-5500 BCE) and Bronze Ages (3200-1200 BCE), and we have evidence documenting the city’s role in the Hellenistic world (323-31 BCE) as well. From 63 BC onward, Jerash and its surroundings belonged to Rome. During the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, Jerash thrived and expanded. It received a visit from Emperor Hadrian, which occasioned the construction of a triumphal arch to celebrate his visit to the city. This arch remains standing today.
Arch of Hadrian
The Arch of Hadrian is an ancient Roman structure in Jerash, Jordan. It is an 11-metre high triple-arched gateway erected to honor the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to the city (then called Gerasa) in the winter of 129–130.
Temple of Artemis
The Jerash Temple of Artemis was a Roman temple in Jerash, Jordan. The temple was built on one of the highest points and dominated the whole city. Ruins of the temple are still one of the most remarkable monuments left of the ancient city of Gerasa(Jerash).
An amphitheatre that seats up to 3000.
It is occasionally used today for concerts
and musical productions.
Daily features include bag pipers
in traditional Jordanian military dress.
Dibbeen Forest Reserve
Dibeen Forest Reserve is a nature reserve located in the north-west of Jordan. It is situated just south of the Roman site of Jerash and covers an area of 8.5 square kilometres (3.3 sq mi) of rolling hills covered with pine–oak habitat.
It also is the home to 17 endangered species such as the Persian Squirrel.
The Jerash nymphaeum
The Oval Forum
The Oval Forum and Cardo Maximus
in ancient Jerash