The ancient city of Jerash, Petra rivaling the list of favorite destinations in Jordan, has always been occupied by human settlements, more than 6,500 years.
Jerash lies on a plateau surrounded by steep wooded areas and fertile basins. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it fell under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities, the Decapolis.
The city's golden age came under Roman rule, during which it was known as Gerasa, and today is considered one of the best preserved Roman cities worldwide. Hidden for centuries in sand before the excavations and restorations carried out during the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a perfect example of the great Roman provinces formal planning that can be admired throughout the Middle East: floor and colonnaded streets, temples on the tops of the mountains, handsome theaters, spacious public squares, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and columns.
Beneath its external Greco-Roman city of Jerash also preserves a subtle blend of East and West. Its architecture, religion and languages reflect a process by which two powerful cultures were mixed and coexisted: the Greco-Roman world of the Mediterranean basin and the ancient traditions of the Arab East.
The modern city of Jerash is located east of the ruins. The old and the new city are separated only by a wall, but the careful preservation and city planning have enabled the city to develop itself out of the ruins, so there is no invasion of the sites old.
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The Jerash Festival, held in July, dipped to the ancient city into one of the most spectacular cultural events and encouraged the world. The festival of folk dances representing local and international groups, ballet, concerts, theater, opera, performances of popular singers and sales of traditional handicrafts, all lit by artificial light creates a suggestive atmosphere around the wonderful setting of the ruins Jerash.
from Jordan Tourist Office
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