The earliest evidence of settlement in Jerash is from the Neolithic age, as human remains dating to around 7500 BC were uncovered in the area. The town flourished during the Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods until the earthquake from 749, which destroyed large parts of Jerash or ancient Gerasa. Today, it is one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities.
Two musicians were playing in the theatre and a group of local tourists were dancing to it, this way we could sit in the stands and watch the performance like in ancient times.
Jerash is called the city of columns, as there are an incredible number of still standing or re-erected columns in this city. To imagine we could visit Gerasa in its full glory, with all the buildings, temples and streets intact. The shops would be busy, the streets full of people and carts, making their way through town. Of course, it would be smelly and loud maybe, but the life as a wealthy person in this town would of course include a big villa with servants and time spent in the bath to relax.
erected to honor the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian in the winter of 129–130 AD
This was one of the most impressive ancient Roman cities we had visited so far, and probably can’t be topped, as we have already seen a lot, especially in Turkey. We are a little infatuated with the Roman Empire, to be honest, which made this visit to Jerash a highlight during our visit to Jordan. But this country has so much to offer, and we want to explore a little bit more of it.