After breakfast, leave Amman to explore Umm Qais, a northern Jordanian town known for it's proximity to the ruins of ancient Gadara. Later drive to the ancient Roman city of Jerash and the Saracen castle at Ajlun and then back to Amman.
Overnight in Ambassador Hotel, Amman
Meal plan: Breakfast
Jerash is one of the biggest preserved Roman cities outside of Italy.The history of Jerash is a blend of the Greco-Roman world of the Mediterranean basin and the ancient traditions of the Arab Orient. A close contender to Petra for Jordan’s favourite destination, this ancient city has survived for a staggering 6,500 years, boasting an unbroken chain of human occupation. First established by Alexander the Great, Jerash had its golden age under Roman rule and most of its ruins date to this time. Hidden for centuries in sand, Jerash has been excavated and restored over the past 70 years, and now stands almost as it would have appeared in its former glory. A fascinating example of the grand style of provincial Roman urbanism found throughout the Middle East, beguiling Jerash is composed of elaborately paved and colonnaded streets, handsome theatres, public squares and plazas, baths and fountains, and overlooked by striking hilltop temples. Surrounding the city are the old city walls, pierced by the remains of ancient towers and gates.
Hilltop town Ajloun is best known for its impressive 12th century crusader castle, Qailat Al Rabat. Dominating a stretch of the Jordan Valley, the fortress was the site from which Saladin launched his successful campaigns against the crusaders. Originally boasting four towers, parts of the castle, including the battlements, were destroyed by the Mongol’s attack in the 13th century, and two earthquakes in the 19th and 20th centuries did further damage, but today Jordan is committed to a restoration program. Aljoun is also allegedly the birthplace of the Prophet Elijahand, and the site of Tell Mar Elias is located just outside the city, boasting some exquisite Byzantine Church mosaics. Also nearby is the serene Lady of the Mountain Church.
Umm Qais (or Gadara) is one of the most spectacular ancient Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis, situated next to the famous site of Gadron. Known as the 'Jewel of the North' and perched dramatically on a hilltop overlooking the Golan Heights, the Yarmuk Gorge and the mythical Sea of Galilee, Umm Qais is thought to have been the place of Jesus’s exorcism of the demonic Gerasens – a biblical story in which Jesus exorcised the demon spirits, turning them into swine which he sent down Umm Qais’s slopes into the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8: 28-34). This important city was renowned for its cosmopolitan atmosphere, attracting an array of writers, artists, philosophers and poets. Like Pella, its' sister Decapolis city, Umm Qais was blessed with fertile soil, abundant water and a location astride a number of key trading routes connecting Asia and Europe. Today Umm Qais boasts impressive remains. The serene theatre is made from black basalt, while the basilica and adjacent courtyard are strewn with exquisitely carved black sarcophagi. The old city has a colonnaded main street with a side-street lined with shops, an underground mausoleum, two baths, a nymphaeum, city gate and the outlines of what was once a spectacular hippodrome.
