An adventure to the Middle East ( Part 14 ) Jerash

Jerash is located outside Amman among the mountains of Gilead. This is one of the largest and best  preserved sites of the Roman architecture outside Italy. This was a rich city. Jerash is a close second to Petra on the list of favorite destinations in Jordan.

Here are some sites you should see if you are in Jerash

We entered the city through Hadrian's Arch, one of the six gates built to commemorate the visit of Emperor  Hadrian in 129 AD, and I just gaped at the city that is slowly revealing itself out of the ground. The magnificent arch was built to celebrate Roman Emperor Hadrian's visit to Jerash in 129 AD. It was the main gateway with an impressive wall surrounding the town.

The Forum

This was the public space in the middle of a Roman city, where people gathered for meetings and political discussions. It is paved with marble stones and has many large columns standing around the circumference. In the fountain are the remains of a fountain.

The hippodrome was my favorite because you get a sense of the past. It is so beautifully preserved that you can imagine yourself sitting there --- watching a chariot game or a gladiator fight just as they did 2000 years ago. According to our tour guide, the Jordanian government still uses the hippodrome today to host chariot races for tourists.

here is the detail of the mosaic floor...

The whole city has many treasures, the Old Christian church has an almost perfect mosaic floor.

The Temple of Atemis

The Street of Columns

The Nymphaenum

Here is a closer look of the Nymphaenum

Jerash is really worth seeing. Some people even call it Pompei of the Middle East. This is another must see sight in when you are visiting Jordan