JARASH, AJLOUN & UMM AL-JIMAL

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

When Emperor Hadrian visited Jarash in 129 AD, it was already thriving. To honour 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 Cardo - running 600 metres 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.

Jarash was an open city of freestanding 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.

JARASH FESTIVAL
Held at Jarash 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 Jarash ruins. The Jarash Festival is a must-see if you're visiting Jordan at the time, and worth coming for specially. Programmes are available from the Jarash Festival office, tel. (06) 5675199.

WHAT TO SEE
The star attraction in Jarash are the ruins themselves. Guidebooks, maps and information are available from the Visitors' Centre near the South Gate, tel. (02) 6351272. Opening hours 07:30-19:00 daily in winter, 07:30-20:30 in summer. Admission fees for Jarash are 5 JD.

Jarash Archaeological Museum situated in the ruins, tel. (02) 6352267. Hours 08:30-17:00 in winter, 08:30-18:00 in summer, 10:00-16:00 on official holidays. Opens daily. Admission free.

WHERE TO EAT (see also Ajloun section)

WHERE TO STAY & ADDITIONAL RESTAURANTS
There are no hotels in Jarash itself, but the following facilities are close by:
Dibbin Rest House, restaurant and chalets in the Dibbin National Park southwest of Jarash, tel. (02) 6339710.

Olive Branch Resort, hotel with restaurant and camping site, 5 km from Jarash on the road to Ajloun, tel. (02) 6340555.

HOW TO GET THERE
Jarash is a great day-trip from Amman.
By car or taxi: From the Sport City interchange in Amman, head northwest past Jordan University; Jarash is 51 km from Amman.

By Bus: JETT, tel. (06) 5664146, offer regular trips in air-conditioned coaches from Amman.

AJLOUN

A short journey west from Jarash, through pine forest and olive groves, brings you to the town of Ajloun. Here is Ajloun Castle (also known as Qal'at [Castle] ar-Rabad), which was built in 1184 by 'Izz ad-Din Usama bin Munqidh, a nephew of Saladin, who defeated the Crusaders in 1189.

A fine example of Islamic architecture, the fortress dominated a wide stretch of the northern Jordan Valley and passages to it. From its hilltop position, Ajloun Castle protected the communication routes between south Jordan and Syria, and was one of a chain of forts, which lit beacons at night to pass signals from the Euphrates as far as Cairo.

Today, Ajloun Castle is a splendid sight and a fascinating warren of towers, chambers, galleries and staircases to explore, while its hilltop position offers a stupendous view of the Jordan Valley.

WHAT TO SEE
Ajloun Castle (Qal'at ar-Rabad), open 09:00-17:00 daily, tel. (02) 6420956. Admission fee is 1 JD.

Ajloun Visitors' Centre, (02) 6420115

WHERE TO EAT
Ajloun Rest House (Bonita), tel. (02) 6420981

UMM AL-JIMAL
Further east lies Umm al-Jimal - the so-called "Black Gem of the Desert" - once a town on the margins of the Decapolis. Rural and well to do, it was a fitting contrast to the surrounding busy cities. Its lovely black basalt mansions and towers, some still standing three storeys high, have long inspired poets.

For assistance call the
Visitors' Centre, tel. (02) 6267040.

HOW TO GET THERE
By car or taxi: From Amman take the Zarqa-Mafraq highway and follow the signs. Allow one and a half hours to get to Umm al-Jimal, which is approximately l20 km away from the capital.