Umm Qais

Umm Qais stands on the site of ancient Gadara, one of the cities of the Decapolis, and its building material sets it apart from every other Roman site in the region: black basalt, quarried locally, which gives the colonnaded street, the theatres and the tombs a dark, heavy character quite unlike the honey-coloured stone of Jerash. It occupies a ridge in the far northwest corner of the country with one of the widest views in Jordan, out across the Yarmouk valley and the water and hills to the north and west. Layered on top of the Roman city is an Ottoman-era village of the same black stone, partly restored, which the local community has turned into a base for walking, cycling and food experiences in the surrounding hills.

History

The oldest finds go back to the second half of the 3rd century BC, and the town seems to have been founded as a military colony of Macedonian Greeks, though the name Gadara is a Greek form of a local Semitic word for "fortifications". It was a centre of Greek culture in Hellenistic and Roman times, and in 218 BC Polybius called it the strongest of all places in the region (Wikipedia, Umm Qais).

What to look for

• The west theatre - black basalt seating, remarkably intact.
• The colonnaded street - the Decapolis main road with its shops and basalt paving.
• The Ottoman village - restored black stone houses above the ancient city.
• The ridge viewpoint - the long view north and west across the valley.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the best conditions; the north gets green and flowering in March and April. Late afternoon gives the best light on the basalt and the clearest view. Winter can be wet and cold up here.

Good to know

It is a long way from anywhere else on the standard Jordan route, and combining it with Jerash makes a full day. There is less standing architecture than at Jerash and the site can feel sparse if you arrive expecting the same density. Some of the ancient stone was reused in the Ottoman village, which is itself part of the story.

Nearby

Jerash and Ajloun castle are on the route back towards Amman; the Yarmouk forest reserve is nearby.