Jordania. Jerash
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 4.18 mi
- Elevation gain
- 249 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 249 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,800 ft
- TrailRank
- 60
- Min elevation
- 1,586 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 3 hours 31 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1252
- Uploaded
- February 14, 2021
- Recorded
- November 2019
near Bāb ‘Ammān, Jerash (Jordan)
Viewed 578 times, downloaded 39 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Gerasa or Jerash is the name of an ancient city of the Decapolis. Its ruins represent one of the most important and best-preserved Roman cities in the Near East, and are located in the Gerasa governorate, northwest of Jordan.
Recent excavations show that Jerash was already inhabited during the Bronze Age and Iron Age (3200 BC - 1200 BC). After the Roman conquest, in the year 63 a. C., Jerash and its contours were annexed to the Roman province of Syria, and later it was integrated into the Decapolis.
In 90 d. C. was gotten up to the province of Arabia, that included the city of Philadelphia (present Amman). The Romans ensured peace and security in the area, allowing its inhabitants to devote their time and energy to economic development and construction.
In the second half of the 1st century, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity. In 106 the emperor Trajan built roads that crossed the provinces, so that during the years 129-130, trade in the city increased. Hadrian visited Jerash and a Latin inscription records the religious dedication made by the members of the imperial guard who wintered there.
The triumphal arch -or Arch of Hadrian- was erected to solemnize the visit. Gerasa is considered one of the largest and best preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside of Italy.
Under the foundations of a Byzantine church that was built in Jerash in 530, a mosaic floor with Hebrew inscription was discovered, which is believed to have once served as a synagogue. The city reached an intramural size of 800,000 square meter.
In 614, the Persian invasion was the cause of Jerash's rapid decline. However, the city experienced a new period of splendor during the Umayyad period, as recent excavations have shown. In 746, a great earthquake destroyed much of Jerash and its surroundings.
During the time of the Crusades, some of its monuments were converted into fortresses, including the Temple of Artemis. Baudouin II of Jerusalem, captured and burned the fortress in the years 1121-1122.6 7 The inner faces of the temple walls still clearly show the effect of the great fire. Then the crusaders immediately left Jerash and retreated to Sakib (Seecip); the eastern boundary of the settlement. 8 9
Small settlements continued to exist in the city during the Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman times, and Circassians from Central Asia settled on its territory in 1878. Since the 1920s, excavations and restorations of the city have been almost continuous Those carried out since 2011 have shed light on the Middle Islamic period, as recent discoveries have shown a large concentration of medieval Islamic / Mamluk pottery and structures.
Monuments
The most outstanding monuments of the city are: the Arch of Hadrian, the circus / hippodrome, two immense temples dedicated to Zeus and Artemis, the Forum, oval in shape, and surrounded by a beautiful colonnade; a long colonnaded avenue, two theaters (the great South Theater and the smaller North Theater), two baths, several minor temples, and almost complete walls.
Most of these monuments were built thanks to donations from the richest inhabitants of the city. Since 350 there has been an important Christian community in the city and between 400 and 600 more than thirteen churches were built, many with rich mosaic floors. The cathedral was built in the 4th century. Due to the quality and degree of conservation of its archaeological remains, Jerash has been called the Asian Pompeii. It is the second main tourist attraction in Jordan, after Petra.
Modern gerasa
Gerasa has developed extraordinarily in the last century with the growing importance of the tourism industry in the city. It is now the second most popular tourist attraction in Jordan, very close to the splendid ruins of Petra.
Recent excavations show that Jerash was already inhabited during the Bronze Age and Iron Age (3200 BC - 1200 BC). After the Roman conquest, in the year 63 a. C., Jerash and its contours were annexed to the Roman province of Syria, and later it was integrated into the Decapolis.
In 90 d. C. was gotten up to the province of Arabia, that included the city of Philadelphia (present Amman). The Romans ensured peace and security in the area, allowing its inhabitants to devote their time and energy to economic development and construction.
In the second half of the 1st century, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity. In 106 the emperor Trajan built roads that crossed the provinces, so that during the years 129-130, trade in the city increased. Hadrian visited Jerash and a Latin inscription records the religious dedication made by the members of the imperial guard who wintered there.
The triumphal arch -or Arch of Hadrian- was erected to solemnize the visit. Gerasa is considered one of the largest and best preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside of Italy.
Under the foundations of a Byzantine church that was built in Jerash in 530, a mosaic floor with Hebrew inscription was discovered, which is believed to have once served as a synagogue. The city reached an intramural size of 800,000 square meter.
In 614, the Persian invasion was the cause of Jerash's rapid decline. However, the city experienced a new period of splendor during the Umayyad period, as recent excavations have shown. In 746, a great earthquake destroyed much of Jerash and its surroundings.
During the time of the Crusades, some of its monuments were converted into fortresses, including the Temple of Artemis. Baudouin II of Jerusalem, captured and burned the fortress in the years 1121-1122.6 7 The inner faces of the temple walls still clearly show the effect of the great fire. Then the crusaders immediately left Jerash and retreated to Sakib (Seecip); the eastern boundary of the settlement. 8 9
Small settlements continued to exist in the city during the Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman times, and Circassians from Central Asia settled on its territory in 1878. Since the 1920s, excavations and restorations of the city have been almost continuous Those carried out since 2011 have shed light on the Middle Islamic period, as recent discoveries have shown a large concentration of medieval Islamic / Mamluk pottery and structures.
Monuments
The most outstanding monuments of the city are: the Arch of Hadrian, the circus / hippodrome, two immense temples dedicated to Zeus and Artemis, the Forum, oval in shape, and surrounded by a beautiful colonnade; a long colonnaded avenue, two theaters (the great South Theater and the smaller North Theater), two baths, several minor temples, and almost complete walls.
Most of these monuments were built thanks to donations from the richest inhabitants of the city. Since 350 there has been an important Christian community in the city and between 400 and 600 more than thirteen churches were built, many with rich mosaic floors. The cathedral was built in the 4th century. Due to the quality and degree of conservation of its archaeological remains, Jerash has been called the Asian Pompeii. It is the second main tourist attraction in Jordan, after Petra.
Modern gerasa
Gerasa has developed extraordinarily in the last century with the growing importance of the tourism industry in the city. It is now the second most popular tourist attraction in Jordan, very close to the splendid ruins of Petra.
Waypoints
Monument
2,672 ft
Panorama
Ruins
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