“Have you ever witnessed the Chariot Race here?” Patricia, the American lady sitting beside me at Jerash in Jordan asked. No, I told her, this was my first visit. We had stopped for a few minutes during a walk through this ancient Greco-Roman city when she struck up a conversation with us. “We find it fascinating,” she said, “My husband and I drive down here from Amman to witness it regularly. We attend the Jerash festival too.”
It was easy to see why. Considered the best-preserved Roman city outside Rome, Jerash is an awesome sight with its large theatres, public squares and plazas, paved and colonnaded streets, hilltop temples, fountains and baths. And in these surroundings, the RACE (Roman Army and Chariot Experience) at the Hippodrome would make for a great spectacle.
Putting up the show are 45 men dressed as legionaries in full armour who display Roman army drill and battle tactics; 10 gladiators ‘fighting to the end', and several ‘Roman chariots' which compete in a seven-lap race around the Hippodrome. Set in the floodlit surroundings of these spectacular ruins, the annual Jerash festival is another draw — a cultural event which includes folk dances by local an international troupes, concerts, plays, operas, ballets, and exhibition-sales of traditional handicrafts.
Our experience of this ancient city was more sedate — we merely walked through the sprawling complex observing the architecture and design and listening to our guide narrate their history. We perspired in the searing midday heat and gathered much dust but persevered. After all, this is one of the most ancient cities in the world.
Jerash — then known as Gerasa — came under Roman rule when conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC. It was considered one of the 10 great Roman cities, and part of the Decapolis League which was a Greco-Roman federation of cities. Adding to the mystique and allure of Jerash is the fact that archaeologists have uncovered evidence of Neolithic age settlements. This indicates that this place has a history of human occupation from at least 6,000 years ago.
And it is all so remarkably well-preserved and maintained including all its highlights — the Hippodrome, Hadrian's Arch, Oval Plaza, Cathedral, North Theatre, South Theatre, Jerash Archaeological Museum, Nymphaeum, Colonnaded Street. For instance, the South Theatre, which can seat 3,000 people, is used even today. This is possible thanks to the advanced engineering techniques used for construction in those times as well as the painstaking efforts — centuries later — of modern archaeological teams from around the world.
This historic site was hidden for centuries under sand before excavations revealed its existence. It was carefully restored over the last 70 years or so.
The Colonnaded Street is the most impressive in these ruins, and also one of the most iconic of the structures here. It is still paved with the original stones and its 800-m Cardo was the architectural spine and focal point of the ancient city, our guide informed us. The Oval Plaza is a spacious area surrounded by a colonnade of Ionic columns of the 1st century A.D. as well as a broad sidewalk.
The Hippodrome was where chariot races and other sports were held at its massive arena (and today's sports-shows for tourists also held here). The Cathedral or Byzantine Church is a 4th century structure with a small shrine to Mary, and which was built over the original 2nd century Roman temple of Dionysus. Another eye-catcher is Hadrian's Arch, a triumphal arch built to commemorate the visit of Emperor Hadrian in 129 AD.
The North Theatre was built around 165 AD. The South Theatre is more impressive. Its amazing acoustics made up for the lack of mikes in those days. The vaulted passages and ornate stage are impressive and one can even see Reserved Seats with Greek letters designating them! Further away is the Nymphaeum or ornamental fountain, popular with visitors for its photo-ops.
Like so many places in Jordan, the city of Jerash (formerly Gerasa) finds mention in the Bible too. Therein it is called the region of the Garasenes (Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26). In fact, this Middle East country where Arabic is the official language, abounds in famous Christian pilgrimage places. So, it is not surprising that Biblical itineraries are common in Jordan. They generally include Bethany Beyond the Jordan and the Baptismal Site (where Jesus was baptised by John), Jerash, Umm Qays (where Jesus taught people about the Kingdom of God and performed the Gadarene swine miracle), Petra and Lot's Cave, Madaba (with the famous world's largest floor-map of the Holy Land), Mount Nebo, etc. And all tours invariably include Jerash.
And like so many historical places, Jerash cannot escape comparisons with other, better-known heritage sites of the world. It's sometimes described as Pompeii of the East or Middle East. Or as Jordan's Pompeii though, some historians say this is misleading given the actual history.
But these awe-inspiring ruins are not the only thing in Jerash. To the east of this site is the modern city of Jerash. A huge city wall separates the two and careful urban planning has ensured that the old remains untouched and the new in no way encroaches on it.
