7th March: Roman ruins of Jerash and the long road to Israel

This long journey began at 8 a.m. in Amman and ended at 7 p.m. in Nazareth, across the border in Israel. After an hour's drive through the northern outskirts of Amman we arrived at Jerash, the site of spectacular Roman ruins (dating mostly from the 1st-2nd centuries AD). On the edge of the old city we passed beneath Hadrian's Gate, a triumphal arch built to mark his visit. On our left stood a large hippodrome, which apparently could have held up to 15,000 spectators. Chariot races run only in the summer, so we were spared having to decide whether the entertainment would be more amusing than painful.

Hadrian's Gate

From the stands of the Hippodrome

Looking back south at Hadrian's Gate and the Hippodrome

We entered the old city through the South Gate, past the remnants of an old souk and up the slope to the massive columns of the Temple of Zeus. From here we had a fantastic view over the ruined city, one of ten Levantine settlements that used to comprise the Roman Decopolis. Thanks to having arrived early we had the site mostly to ourselves (although sadly that could not last).

South Gate

Heading up towards the Temple of Zeus

Beneath the mighty columns

View across the Forum and along the Cardo Maximus, the Roman road running the length of the city

Next to the Temple of Zeus we found the huge Theatre. There we had a great time experimenting with its remarkable acoustics, which were noticably at their best at a single well-worn spot in the centre of the orchestra. A local hanging around eagerly volunteered to take photos, then optimistically demanded 5 dinar (about the same in sterling) for services rendered; we gave him rather less. Just as we were leaving, three more locals emerged and started up on bagpipes, bizarrely, to entertain a group of tourists who were entering the scene.

View from the top of the Theatre

Couldn't resist trying out the acoustics:

We made our way slowly around the western outskirts of the city from south to north, past the ruins of several 6th century AD churches. We were accompanied by a herd of goats; an environmentally-friendly lawn-mowing service, we presumed. The next major monument was the Temple of Artemis, its magnificent Corinthian columns rising serenely into the clear blue sky. 

Mosaics needing some TLC

Lawn-mowing service

Temple of Artemis

We carried on past another (restored) theatre to the North Gate, marking the limit of the Roman city, then headed back south along the colonnaded road, the Cardo Maximus, running straight through the heart of the city. The original Roman stones remained, and we could just about make out the grooves carved by ancient wheels. A little further on we reached an impressive quadruple archway (tetrapylon) standing above a crossroads. The long straight road then passed by the entrance to the Temple of Artemis, called the Propylaeum; off to the left was the Propylaeum Church.

Northern theatre

North Gate

Well-grooved Roman road

Standing beneath the tetrapylon

Propylaeum

Propylaeum Church

By this time a few large tour groups had arrived, but we managed to dodge them and retain a tranquil environment in which to enjoy the ruins. We continued south past the Nymphaeum, a beautiful fountain, and arrived finally at the huge oval forum surrounded by pillars. Concluding our a very enjoyable three-hour stroll around the ruins, we headed back to the car.

Nymphaeum

Back at the Forum, with the Temple of Zeus and the Theatre in the background

After half an hour's drive across the valley we arrived at the town of Ajloun, pausing briefly to admire the castle perched imposingly atop the hill. The magnificent Qala'at ar-Rabad was erected in the 12th century AD by the Ayyubids to guard the Jordan valley against Crusader incursions, but most of what we could see was built in the following century by the Mamluks. Our driver dropped us at the entrance gate and left us to walk the last 100 metres or so up to the walls of the castle. We crossed the moat on a bridge that had been rebuilt after earthquakes had brought down the original, then climbed up the steps to the heart of the castle.

Looking up at Qala'at ar-Rabad

View of Ajloun and the Jordan Valley from the castle

Beneath the castle walls

After a brief tour of the castle's museum, which included some small jars that were apparently 13th century grenades, we continued on through the stone halls. The artificial light from floor lamps rather detracted from the ambience, but we managed to find a few unlit caverns where we were able to enjoy the atmospheric gloom. Eventually we wound our way through the maze to the top of the castle, from which we had a glorious view of the Jordan Valley.

Inside the castle

If there's no barrier, it's fair game

View from the top of the castle

By the time that we had rejoined our driver it was almost 2 p.m. and our tummies were rumbling. We asked if we could stop at a market or shop to pick up some bread, since we didn't want to waste time stopping at a restaurant. Showing off impressive anticipation, he opened the boot and pulled out several rolls of brown bread, perfect for a backseat snack.

After another hour's drive through beautiful countryside of gently rolling hills and verdant valleys we arrived at Umm Qais, in the northwestern tip of Jordan. This was the site of Gadara, another member of the Roman Decapolis, where Jesus (according to Matthew) cast out the Devil from madmen into a herd of pigs. We wandered slowly among the black basalt ruins of the city, stopping off at the dark, grand theatre and a terrace still marked by the columns of a Byzantine church. The strategic value of Gadara was clear, as we were offered a magnificent vista over picturesque but troubled lands: the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights to the northwest, and southern Syria to the north.

Basalt theatre of Umm Qais

Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights from Umm Qais

We walked along the black Roman road leading west to the border, through ongoing excavations and past what we assumed was a watchtower of some kind. As in Jerash, grooves in the road attested to the traffic of bygone centuries. We returned to the acropolis, which was populated by the ruins of Ottoman-era houses constructed from a mixture of grey stone and black basalt scavenged from the Roman city, then headed back to meet our driver.

Basalt road

Spot the border watchtower among the ruins

Ottoman recycling

Another view of the Sea of Galilee, Golan Heights, and Syria

We were then driven the last 20 minutes or so towards Israel, past several security checkpoints before we even reached the border. Our driver was not allowed all the way to the border; we had to say farewell and pay for a "shuttle taxi" the last few hundred metres to the immigration and security checkpoint on the Jordanian side. We then had to sit around for a while to wait for a bus to take us over the bridge across the River Jordan to the Israeli checkpoint. Being confronted there by a very large man with an even larger gun was slightly unnerving; this was exacerbated by the circumstance that he was not in uniform. Thankfully he kept his gun out of our faces. Our bags were subjected to extensive scans and searches, and we were grilled on our recent movements (especially Clem's trip to Libya a couple of years ago). Finally we were allowed to pass.

We took a taxi from the border to Nazareth and our rather lovely B&B, called the Fauzi Azar Inn. We were fairly shattered after our long day, but did summon the energy to wander the narrow streets of the Old City in search of some food. The restaurant suggested by the Inn was excellent, and a discount softened the blow of what would otherwise have been a harsh introduction to Israeli prices.