Jordan and Israel Trip- Part 11

Ancient Jeresh- 17/11/2019

Jeresh is a modern city built around, and on top of an ancient city, which is, of course, the reason I stayed for three nights.

It was a settlement as far back as 7500 BCE, flourished during the Greco-Roman era until various earthquakes destroyed much of the city. The Crusaders made use of it briefly, then it lay abandoned until the Ottomans made use of it in the 16th century.

Today Jeresh is one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities outside of Italy. Excavations began in 1925, and still continue today.

The main entrance of the ancient city of Jeresh is the incredible Hadrian’s Arch, built by the Roman Emperor of the same name.

The Oval Plaza was the main square and focus point of everyday life in the city, and was a crossroads between the two major roads. It was built with impressive Ionic columns, paved with stone slabs, and featured its own drainage system.

The Cordo leads on from the Plaza, linking many state buildings, and would have been lined with hundreds of stalls.

My favourite building was the Nymphaeum. a two-storey fountain, to supply water to the masses in excessive style. The pink granite basin was likely added by the Byzantines.

A number of temples line the Cordo, the most spectacular in my opinion being the Temple of Artemis.

Which included a number of gates and entrances.

The city featured at least two theatres, both amazingly restored. The Southern Theatre featured some beautifully anachronistic live music when I visited.

I think the thing I liked the most about Jeresh is that It was not just a collection of distant buildings, you could see how everything was interconnected. Various gods rose to dominance and faded as the people changed. all the while business and wars were conducted, and empires rose and fell, but for thousands of years the city endured.