Roman columns, Jerash, Jordan

Brief guide to Jerash, Jordan


Jerash is located 48km from Amman, in the North of Jordan. Jerash has a population of around 31,650 people. The city has a diverse mix of ethnicities with the majority being Arabs, Caucasians and Armenians. The majority of the population are Muslims, however the percentage of Christians in Jerash is among the highest in Jordan.

Recent archaeological work suggests that Jerash was inhabited as far back as the Bronze Age, 3,200-1,200BC. Many tourists today, come to visit the city of Jerash to see the ancient ruins of the city of Gerasa, one of the Roman’s Decapolis cities. The city is sometimes called ‘The Pompeii of the Middle East’ (although Jerash was never buried by a volcano!) The city has a wealth of archaeological sites such as: The Corinthium Column, a hippodrome, two immense temples to Zeus and Artemis, the unique oval shaped forum, which is surrounded by a fine colonnade, two theatres, two baths, an almost complete circuit of city walls and the Arch of Hadrian. The impressive Arch of Hadrian was built around 129AD to commemorate a visit from the Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Modern Jerash has developed dramatically throughout the last century due to the importance of the city as a tourist destination. Jerash is now the 2nd most popular attraction in Jordan, the 1st being Petra. Jerash’s economy is largely based on tourism, but at heart Jerash is an agricultural city with more than 1.25 million olive trees.

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