Jerash - A market town in Roman times and other Jordan Things to Do Tips

Although one of the cities of the Decapolis (when it was known as Gerasa), Jerash never claimed to be other than a simple provincial market town. The high point in its history was the visit of the Emperor Hadrian in 129AD and the triumphal arch was built to celebrate the Emperor's entrance into the town. Today it is the 3rd tourist site in Jordan.

Much of it was destroyed in the earthquake of 747AD.

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Directions: Buses go to Jerash from both the Abdali and the Raghadan bus stations in Amman. The buses leave when they are full. The trip takes less than an hour.

Posted by Lulu

When the temples were rebuilt after the catastrophic earthquake, they were conceived to be "earthquake-proof". If you slide your fingers in between the huge stones of the temple of Artemis you can feel the column swaying in the wind.

If you are nervous about this, the guide will insert a knife and you can see it moving up and down to the movement of the column.

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Directions: Posted by Lulu

As far as I know the Oval Plaza in Jerash is unique. This is a large paved area surrounded by two curving colonnades, which form an entry into the main street (the "Cardo").

Part of the Jerash Festival takes place here.

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Directions: Posted by Lulu

This takes place every year in the summer, for several days a week.

There are usually reconstructions of Roman chariot racing and Roman military displays; plays ancient and modern are presented in the theatre.

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Directions: Posted by Lulu

The Dead Sea is full of salt, and as most people know it is impossible not to float in it! It is supposed to be very good for one's skin, but the salt means that any abrasions or pimples will sting like fury and when you get water in your eyes they also sting a lot. Certainly floating is fun, but getting upright again isn't, you splash around quite a lot, and unless you are being very cautious you get water in your eyes all over again - DO NOT RUB THEM! The sea bottom is covered with slimy mud!

It's not far from Amman but be careful not to miss the last bus back at 4pm or you will have to spend the night there and there is no budget accommodation available.

This salt is very bad for any clothes you might put on on top of it, so it is pretty well mandatory to be able to wash it off afterwards. The public beach is not very pleasant, so it is best to use some of the facilities available.

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Directions: To get to the Dead Sea it is easiest to go from Amman. There are buses from Muhajrin station that take you to the Dead Sea Resthouse at Sweymeh. You can also get there from Madaba.

Posted by Lulu

There are some good facilities for bathing at "Amman Beach" about 1km from the Dead Sea Spa Hotel. The entrance fee is 4JD, it offers facilities for changing, showers for getting rid of the salt, but nowhere safe to keep valuables while you are in the water. You can rent a towel for 1JD.

If the 4JD at Amman Beach is too expensive, I suggest you do what many locals do: keep on going down the road which eventually runs along the shore with the mountains rising immediately to your left. Along there you will find plenty of quiet spots to go down to the shore and bathe in the Dead Sea. To rinse off afterwards, keep going down the road until you come to a bridge over a stream which comes down a narrow gorge and enters the Dead Sea. The stream is very warm and fresh and well worth walking upriver a bit - climbing up the waterfalls can be good fun! This place is very popular - try to avoid Fridays!

Posted by Lulu

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An important archaeological site was discovered recently close to the Dead Sea. The discoveries included a Byzantine monastery; several smaller churches, chapels, monks' hermitages, caves, and cells; a large Byzantine church complex adjacent to the Jordan River; an impressive ceramic pipeline bringing water to Bethany beyond the Jordan from several kilometres to the east; a large plastered pool and adjacent chapel halfway between the Bethany settlement and the Jordan River; and a pilgrims' rest station and caravanserai east of Bethany, on the route to Mount Nebo.

This site was identified as the Biblical Bethany, where Martha and Mary lived, and where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. This identification was officially recognised in 2000 when it was visited by Pope John Paul II.

The site is a large one, covering several square kilometers. the principal part of it is the Tell, also called "Elijah's Hill"), where you can see several churches, three caves and three baptismal pools, together with the water supply, of channels leading from the two wells.

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Phone: Visitors' Centre 05 359 0360
Address: Posted by Lulu
Directions: Bethany is in Wadi Kharrar, a small stream flowing into the River Jordan not far from the Allenby Bridge.

The entrance fee is 5JD. There is at the moment no public transport to this important site, but excursions can easily be arranged from Madaba.
Other Contact: www.jordanjubilee.com

 Below the church at Bethany, and running down to the river Jordan is a thicket of tamarisk trees, crossed by paths. Here is the Byzantine church built by the Empress Helena alongside two other churches of different periods. This is the area that the prophet Jeremiah called "the jungle of the Jordan" and the growth is lush here.

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Phone: Resthouse phone 05 359 0360
Directions: The Baptism site is in Wadi Kharrar, a small stream flowing into the River Jordan not far from the Allenby Bridge
Other Contact: Posted by Lulu

Christians make up about 6% of the populations of Jordan. Many of them live in Madaba, which was the seat of an important archbishopric in Byzantine times.

There are many mosaics in and around Madaba; most people go there to see the mosaic map of the Holy Land in St George's Church.

There are many others, notably the Hyppolitus Hall mosaic in the Archaeological Park there.

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Directions: The Archaeological Park is close to the Tourist Office and the Madaba Museum. The Madaba Mosaic School is also to be found there.

Posted by Lulu

In Madaba there are many old houses scattered among the modern buildings. And even these modern buildings are often on the site of the old ones.

Look behind some of the houses and you can see fallen columns and unexpected arches in their gardens. New discoveries are constantly being made when something new is built.

The streets contain many Ottoman period houses that most people pass by without noticing.

Posted by Lulu

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