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Jerash
Jerash city is situated
at 45 Kilometers north of the Capital Amman. Some
historians think that Alexander the Great built
it. Later, it was ruled by one of his leaders,
Philadelphius ( 285 - 246 B.C. ) who changed it
from a small village to a great city. Its name
is derived from " Chy Sorrhoas ". It achieved
great prosperity during the Seleucian period (
200 B.C. ). In 63 B.C., it was occupied by the
Romans and became a member of the Decapolis. During
this period it flourished in economy and trade
for its location on the main caravan route between
Aqaba, Busra and Damascus. This involved the construction
of a main street 600m long from north to south
and two streets crossing it at the north. It is
surrounded by some 260 columns on each side. The
Temple of Zeus, the Northern Gate, South and North
Theatres, the Oval Forum, and Temple of Artemis
were also built in this period. The Triumph Arch
was built to celebrate the visit of the Emperor
Hadrian to Jerash in A.D. 139. |
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Places & facts
