I considered not writing an entry for Jerash, as my actual knowledge of the site is pretty weak. But, I figured, the hell—I went, I took photos, and if that doesn't make me an expert guide, what does?

My appreciation of archaeological sites is sometimes lacking. While I started out in Egypt in awe of everything, after Petra, I was coming off that high in a serious way. By the time I arrived in Jerash, I was losing interest in old stones. Despite being the first Roman archaeological site I'd ever seen, it brought out the attitude "seen one column, seen them all" depressingly fast.

That said, Jerash is definitely a worthwhile daytrip from Amman, and inexpensive with a student discount at J$2.5. Dating from the 1st century BC, Jerash is one of the best-preserved cities of the Roman Decapolis. The site features theatres, baths, temples, and colonnades enclosed within the remains of the original city walls. There is a small but informative museum detailing the restoration efforts. I thought the ancient Egyptian sites were preserved better, but don't know why that would be. It's definitely a major tourist attraction, and even though in low season it was fairly empty, I recognized a few package groups from Petra days before.

History of Jerash.

Slideshow of Jerash

One of the things I found most interesting about Jerash is the way the modern city is built right across the road. Modern and ancient architecture mingles freely here; if you've seen the Roman Theatre smack-dab in the middle of busy Amman streets, Jerash expands on that concept.

Caveats for those taking public transportation:

1) When coming from Amman, be sure to tell the driver you want to visit the SITE of Jerash. I didn't realize and was confusedly staring out the window as we sped by Roman ruins on the left. Finally I jumped off while still near the ruins, but we had passed the entrance at the visitor centre long before.

2) Don't start out late in the day, and don't dawdle! It will be very hot (in summer) for one thing, but you may also face difficulty returning to Amman. The last bus to Amman departs in mid-afternoon, so if you try to return around 4:30/5pm, like I did, you will be stuck taking a service taxi. Even worse, the gate directly in front of the buses may be closed later in the afternoon, so you'll have to go all the way back to the visitor centre and loop around to where the buses are—only to find out there are no more buses! Service taxis are not horribly expensive, but at least triple the price of the bus WITH hard bargaining, so try to return by 3pm if possible.

<   previous      •      next   >