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| Pella is a
favorite of archaeologists - it is exceptionally rich in antiquities, some of which are
exceedingly old. Besides the excavated ruins from the Greco-Roman period, including an
Odeon (theater), Pella offers visitors the opportunity to see remains of a Chalcolithic
settlement from the 4th millennium BC, the remains of Bronze and Iron Age walled cities,
Byzantine churches and houses, an Early Islamic residential quarter, and a small medieval
Islamic mosque. Jordan’s second city, Irbid, lies between Pella and Um Qeis, and is a
bustling community with a large university. |
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Religion was a
vital part of daily life at Pella and the remains of three churches could be visited
today. The first church is the West Church. Three columns in its atrium colonnade were put
back in their original places. The East Church sits on a small terrace overlooking Pella.
The largest and most important Byzantine church at Pella is the Civic Complex Church. It
seems that it was used for Christian worship well into the early Islamic period, but was
abandoned after the earthquake. In the Mamluke period, a mosque was built and today its
remains could be seen in Pella. |
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| Um El-Jimal is no
Jerash. There are no emperor monumental buildings here. But it still has a great
significance. Whereas Jerash is a symbol of the glory of Rome, Um el-Jimal is ordinary, a
symbol of the real life of Rome’s subjects. Um el- Jimal gives us a glimpse of local
people, Arabs, Nabateans and Syrians. |
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