Jerash & Northern Jordan

Today was spent exploring the north east corner of Jordan, with visits to Umm Qais, Qala'at ar-Rabad (near Ajlun) and Jerash. Even if I didn't have a map, the military checkpoint as we approached our first stop of the day, Umm Qais, would have given me some idea of what part of the country I was in. The ruins of Gadara, a former Roman city and Ottoman era village, are by no means spectacular; the view however allowed me to catch a glimpse of places I had only seen in news stories or remember from biblical stories.

The hilltop location affords spectacular views over the Golan Heights, the Sea of Galilee, the Palestinian Territories and the Jordan Valley. After just sitting and watching for a while (with ignorance brought on by previous media reporting having me half expecting to see military jets fly overhead and the Golan Heights explode in fire), we moved on to Ajlun and Qala'at ar-Rabad, which overlooks the town.

With our driver telling us "OK guys 30 minutes, it's just a castle", I was a little unsure what to expect. Perhaps it was the spectacular sights of Syria, but by the end I was almost tempted to agree. I guess the downside to trying to pack so much in to any trip is that there is a tendancy not to fully appreciate everything you see. I had to remind myself that here was a structure that dates back to the time of the Crusades and is, in and of itself, dramatic and awe inspiring.

As we drove toward Jerash, I wondered whether I would consider it 'just another old roman city.' That thought was soon dispelled as I gazed in awe at Hadrian's Arch, built in Ad 129, to honour the visit of the Emporer. The city itself rose to prominence more than 4 centuries before this, during the time of Alexander the Great (333 BC). Although excavations have been taking place at Jerash for about 85 years, it is estimated that 90% of the city is still to be uncovered. What has been excavated and restored, rivals anything I have seen in the last month. There is the obligatory cardo maximus (colonnaded street) and theatres; but these are mixed in with an array of temples, a hippodrome and an oval plaza that has to been seen to be truly appreciated.

It seems that the Jordanians are a little more adept at exploiting the tourist dollar than the Syrians. For an extra charge (of course) you could be admitted to the hippodrome and witness a recreated Roman legion in mock battle. On occasion, they even stage chariot races there. Perhaps one of the more confusing scenes however, involved a couple of guys in full arab garb belting out 'Amazing Grace', in the South Theatre, on the bagpipes and drum! For an encore they broke into a rendition of Yankee Doodle Dandy. Entertaining, if slightly bewildering!