Second only to Petra in tourist appeal, the ancient city of Jerash is remarkable for its long chain of human occupation. Here at a well-watered site in the hills of Gilead, remains of Neolithic times have been found, as well as Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad and others. Jerash's golden age however arrived with Roman rule. Today it is acknowledged as one of the best- preserved province cities of the Roman Empire. Jerash was a member of the Decuples, a Dynamic commercial league of Ten Greco Cities.

When Emperor Hadrian visited Jerash in 129 AD, it was already thriving. To honor its guest, the city raised a Triumphal Arch, just one part of a massive building programme. Today you can walk beneath the imposing South Gate and then make your way up the” street of columns"- the roman credo – running 60 meters north from the oval plaza. As you step over the tracks of chariot wheels, still visible in the paving stones, imagine prosperous citizens window-shopping beneath a covered sidewalk.

Jerash was an open city of free standing structures richly embellished with marble and granite. Its engineering was so advanced that large parts of the city still survive today. Much more has been painstakingly restored by archaeological teams from around the world.

 Held at Jerash from about mid July to mid August, this festival features folklore dances by local and international groups, ballet, concerts, opera, popular singers, sales of traditional handicrafts, local theatrical plays and poetry competitions… all in the brilliantly floodlit dramatic surroundings of the Jerash ruins. The Jerash festival is a must-see if you're visiting Jordan at the time, and worth coming for specially.

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