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| One of the
most complete, best preserved and fascinating sites in Jordan is the provincial Roman city
of Jerash, which flourished in the first century AD and thrived by trade due to the
benefits of the Pax Romana. Located north of Amman in the Biblical land of Gilead, lies
this city sheltered in a fertile and well watered valley. At its height, Jerash was home
to over 25,000 people. Theaters and temples were continuously added as the city thrived
under the Roman empire. In 330 AD Emperor Constantine announced that Christianity would be
the new religion of the Roman Empire's eastern half, and Jerash fell into the newly formed
Byzantine segment. A spate of building ensued, some temples were transformed to churches,
many new churches were erected, with mosaic floors similar to those found at Madaba. The
massive ruins are spread over a large area divided and crisscrossed by colonnaded streets
whose pavements still show the grooves of chariot wheels. The South Theater, the biggest
of Jerash's three amphitheaters, is used for performances of international music and dance
groups at the annual summer Jerash Festivals. The city is so well preserved that one feels
it was just recently inhabited as opposed to centuries ago. This journey through Jerash
brings history to life. |
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Patron Goddess of
the city of Jerash, daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo is another main monument in
Jerash. The main internal chamber, or cella, was covered with marble slabs.
The west wall, which faces the person entering the cella, could have been adorned with a
statue of Artemis. Three main vaults can be reached from the inside of the temple, but now
they could be reached through a modern door on the outside. There is some architectural
evidence that shows that the temple may never have been finished or even used in the Roman
times. |
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North-west of the
Temple of Zeus is the South Theater. The South Theater is the biggest of Jerash’s
three theaters (the North theater and the Festival Theater at Birketein pool). The South
Theater seats over 3,000 people and many of the seats, especially to the right of the
stage, are numbered in Greek.
The acoustics of the theater are excellent even now, 2,000 years after its construction.
One can stand at a spot near the center of the orchestra floor speaking in normal voice
and can be heard throughout the entire auditorium. The brilliant design took all the
factors in consideration, such as the sun’s brightness and direction. For this
reason, the theater was built in a way so to allow the least amount of sunlight to disturb
the audience. |
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| The 800-meter-long
main colonnaded street of ancient Gerasa. An underground sewerage system ran beneath the
Cardo, complete with stone manhole covers. The rainwater ran off the road into the sewers
through holes pierced at regular intervals. The surface of the Cardo is marked with deep
grooves made by wagon wheels. On the left of the Cardo, resides one of the most important
monument in Jerash. It is the Nymphaeum, a water fountain dedicated to the Nymphs. It is
centrally located to provide a refreshing water focal at the center of the city. The water
flowed from the recess, through seven lion’s head fountains in the low wall along the
sidewalk, and spilled into round basins just above the sidewalk. The large red granite
basin in front of the Nymphaeum was added in the Byzantine period. |
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