Jerash

Jerash is an ancient Roman city in the Jerash Governorate in Jordan and ranks among the largest preserved provincial centers from the imperial era. Limestone columns line a paved main street that runs through temple ruins, public baths, and two large theaters, while oval plazas and arched gates structure the sprawling site.

Greek settlers founded the town in the second century BCE and named it after its Hellenistic origins. Roman emperors later expanded it significantly and added colonnaded streets, temples, and aqueducts before earthquakes in the eighth century damaged most structures.

The Hippodrome of Jerash hosted chariot races and gladiatorial contests, with stone seating for 15,000 spectators around a 244-meter racing track.

The site opens in the early morning and closes in the late afternoon, with times varying slightly by season. Sturdy footwear helps with walking on uneven stone paths, and shade is limited on hot days along the colonnaded streets.

Stone seating rows in the hippodrome form a long oval track where riders in historical costumes occasionally reenact chariot races today. The acoustics in the southern theater carry even quiet voices from the stage to the top rows without technical amplification.