The best preserved Roman city outside Italy is in Jordan
hidden until a century ago
If ancient Gerasa has reached such a good state of preservation to this day, it is, curiously, due to a disaster: an earthquake that struck the area in the year 749 AD. Much of the city, buried under tons of soil and debris, was then abandoned by its citizens and forgotten over time., It took the work of the German explorer Ulrich Jasper Seetzen, to whom its discovery is attributed, to put it back on the map… and to everyone’s attention, by 1806, neither more nor less. At least ten centuries had to pass.
Read more: Gerasa, gem of the Roman province of Syria
exact location
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Nevertheless, the excavations and its restoration were so delayed that they did not begin until less than a hundred years ago, during the 1920s. In fact, much of the city has yet to be discovered. According to some experts, The visible part will be only 30% of its entirety, In some areas the current surface will be three meters above the old floor; Some, in fact, can be seen with the naked eye during travel. Overall, it has been estimated that ancient Jerash could have reached a size of 800,000 square metres.,
The precise fact that it remained buried for so long has now allowed it to be seen. The second best preserved city of the Roman Empire after Pompeii., Therefore, while walking through Jerash, it is possible to discover the great works of urban planning and architecture that make up it, but also in Small details that are preserved intactSuch as the marks of the wheels of carts running over the centuries on the stones of the Cardo Maximo or the boulevard, the channels of water flowing throughout the city, the holes in the stones of the walls, one of which is marble for example, the plaques covering them, their The letters, carved on the ‘seats’ of theaters or the mosaics of their churches, were once anchored.
The population of Gerasa is estimated to have reached 25,000 citizens and it is known that its society was divided into three social classes with different rights and privileges.
what to see in jerash
Look at the ground during a walk and look for carved stone remains or even fragments of everyday objects such as pots or coins. All this without digging. Within anyone’s sight and reach.
1.Hadrian’s Arch
Considered one of the largest arches in the entire Roman Empire, it serves as the entrance to the complex for today’s visitors. It is named after the Emperor Hadrian, as it was built in his memory. His visit to the city in 129 AD where he extended his stay throughout the winter, it is estimated that Its original height was 22 meters And it had two wooden doors that closed the arches on either side. And although the original plan was that it would serve as the southern entrance to the city, it was never used as such.
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2.oval square
In the southern part of the city, behind Hadrian’s Arch and providing access to the main thoroughfare that crosses the city, is this grand and unique square, the largest in the entire Roman Empire and whose special shape reflects the uniqueness of the land on which it was built, This is the Forum of Gerasa, the public square that serves as a meeting place for its citizens and which, in addition to its dimensions, stands out for its large size.It has 56 Ionic style columns around it,
3. Maximum Thistle
The main road that crosses Jerash from the south – from the Oval Plaza – to the north, has a length of eight hundred meters, along which the city’s canalization system is perfectly visible. Apart from this, footpaths are also present on both sides and are at a considerable height. A road whose width is between six and seven and a half metres. The road approximately one kilometer long is surrounded by countless pillars of short or long length The location of each section depends on the building to which they have granted access. On the eastern side, behind them were completely ruined commercial complexes. On the western side, the most symbolic buildings.
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4. Sanctuary of Artemisa
Being the ‘protector’ of the city, it is logical The largest and highest complex in the whole of Gerasa, whose construction began around the year 200 AD and which can be reached directly from the Cardo Maximo via a small staircase. Also that the temple was located within the main courtyard, and had cellars to the north and south The most impressive decoration, including countless white marble panels that cover its walls and all kinds of decoration and ornamentation, most of which have disappeared over time; In some cases, such as a good part of the columns, they were reused for other buildings during later periods.
The temple had three altars for the use of each social class: members of the lowest class could only access the lower altar and leave their offerings, the middle class could access the second altar and only the most privileged class could access the upper altar. could go. Altar. This last one, the most influential, is the one that over time became a church.
5.Nymphaeus
In its most basic definition, a nymphaeum was nothing more than a fountain built to supply the rest of a city with smaller fountains that never stopped growing, but you just have to see it: there are quite a few fountains like this one. It had two levels, two side caves and was domed and decorated with marble panels and lions’ heads, from whose mouths water flowed into a central basin. Most of the decorations have not survived to this day, but from the way the structure has been preserved, you can imagine how majestic it must have been to see it on the way to Carmo.
6. Theater
The dimension and importance that the city of Gerasa achieved is evidenced by the fact that It had up to three theaters, is the oldest South Theater, which was inaugurated during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian, around 90 AD, and had a capacity of up to 5,000 people. Its good state of conservation and its restoration work have allowed it today to be very close to the state in which it was conceived, which is why it continues to be used for concerts and festivals. To appreciate its superb acoustics, simply stand in the center and say a few words into the air.
North Theater is small, but its conservation status is much better. In fact, it is an odeon, which was originally built as a meeting place for administrative bodies, civic gatherings and never ceased to be used when stage and musical performances were held there. Even today, the names of those rulers can be read on some seats. After several expansions, it reached a capacity of 1,600 people.
byzantine bonus track
Excavations in the area have shown that, after being one of the most important enclaves of the Decapolis, the city of Jerash continued to grow. Therefore there are estimated to be the remains of more than twenty Byzantine churches built in the area. Among them are the temples of San Teodoro, San Juan and San Jorge and San Cosme and San Damián, where you can still see the rich mosaics that decorate them. There are also remains of buildings built by the Umayyads; A large part of them is reusing materials from some of the most emblematic constructions of the city’s golden age. Even the earthquake of 749 AD covered them and definitely stopped the growth of the city.