Jerash

Jerash lies around 30 miles (48km) north of Jordan’s capital. It is mainly known for the Greco-Roman ruins of the city of Gerasa. Sometimes it is called ‘The Pompeii of the middle east’, however, this is quite inaccurate as it was not once covered in ash by a volcano!  It is settled in a quiet valley within the Gilead mountains. It is said to be one of the most well looked after Roman sites outside of Italy which is why the streets, towers and squares etc remain in exceptional condition. You can visit Jerash from the main city of Amman which is only a 1-hour drive away and will take you back by around 2000 years in time. Being an archaeologist’s heaven, they have seemed to find that Jerash has been inhabited by humans up to six and a half thousand years ago. It has some stunning views across the low-lying areas below, so make sure to take your camera with you. Jerash has a very long history. The first historical reference to Jerash was back in the 2nd/1st century BC. Since then it has had a rich and interesting history from many empires ruling too many different religions settling in and out of the city. The main reason for the outstanding conservation of the ruins is due to it being under sand for thousands of years. Since around about 1000 AD Jerash had been under sand until unusually a German traveller came across the ruins of it after many earthquakes in 1806.