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Hadrian`s Arch | |
Cardo Maximus | ||
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Oval Plaza | |
Nymphaeum | ||
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South Theatre | |
Temple of Zeus |
Jerash is a typical example of a Roman provincial town. The first signs of population date back to the Bronze Age. The Greek followed. But only when the Romans had conquered Jerash did the city blossom.
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| Hadrian`s Arch |
Our journey in time, the walk through Jerash, started at Hadrian's Arch. This triumphal arch is located outside the city walls. It was intended to become the main southern gate, but the expansion plans were never completed. Three columns, which are decorated with acanthus leaves, frame the building. When we walked through the arch, we arrived at the Hippodrome. As horse- and camelstables were found, it seems it had been a turf or a meeting place for the caravans. Quite close to the Hippodrome some rocktombs from the time of the Romans and Byzanthines were discovered; only the distinguished inhabitants were buried there.
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| Oval Plaza |
Then we came to the real city wall, which had a length of more than three kilometres. Through the southern Gate we entered the town to the Oval Plaza. This spacious plaza is surrounded by 56 jonic columns. A great part of the social and political life took place there. Even then there was a water pipe beneath the plaza. This square structure now supports a central column which was recently erected to carry the Jerash Festival flame.
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| Cardo Maximus |
From the Oval Plaza we made our way down to the Cardo, the street of columns. It was the main road of Jerash and it is still paved with the original stones. The Jonic columns which skirt the street were replaced by more elaborate Corinthian columns. An underground sewage system ran the full length of the Cardo and the regular holes at the sides of the street drained rainwater into the sewers. Further up the Cardo on the left we reached the Roman Temple of Dionysus. The temple was rebuilt as a Byzantine church, now called the Cathedral. In addition to the splendid portal some fragments of mosaics are left.
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| Nymphaeum |
In front of the Cathedral there is the Nymphaeum. This ornamental fountain was dedicated to the Nymphs. Water cascaded through seven carved lions` heads into small basins on the sidewalk and flowed from there through drains into the underground sewer system. On the following way along the Cardo we saw the only known mosque in Jerash, the Omayyad Mosque. Near the mosque there were Roman baths, truely built according to Roman traditions. The next imposing building was the Temple of Artemis. The temple was dedicated to Diana, Zeus' daughter. Most of the Corinthian front columns are still standing.
Not far away from the Temple of Artemis there were relicts of the North Theatre. The theatre had a capacity of 1600 people. Such as the Temple of Artemis the theatre later got degraded to a place for ceramic-production. We continued our journey to the three Byzantine churches, the Church of SS Cosmos and Damian, the Church of Saint John and the Church of Saint George. These are the best preserved buildings of that aera. We admired the interesting relicts of the splendid floor mosaics. But the historians can't find out why three churches were built side by side. One theory says that so three messes could be said at the same time.
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| South Theatre |
The next station was the huge and the most impressive Roman South Theatre. The theatre seated more than 3000 spectators. On some of the seats Greek letters had been chiselled. As the theatre was built along the north-west axe, the sun couldn't dazzle the spectators.
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| Temple of Zeus |
The last sight we saw was the Temple of Zeus. This temple was built on the relicts of an earlier temple. A staircase leads up to the esplanade. Besides, the temple was surrounded by 15-m-high Corinthian columns. Finally, we left the best preserved excavation site of the world through the Hadrian`s Arch, through which had entered the historical city before.
