Day 2 of our Jordan trip was filled with lot of excitement. We decided to head to Jerash from Amman. We were skeptical about travelling to Jerash by bus but with the guidance from our hotel receptionist we made it to Jerash by bus. If you want to have a budget trip to Jerash, then travelling by bus is a good option. Only thing is you need to start early around 7 AM so that you can have a good complete day in Jerash 🙂 . After 1 hour, we reached Jerash.

Note : Bus to Jerash from Amman North Terminal Bus station will cost you 1 JD per person

As we had traveled to Jordan in December, I must say we were very much in love with the weather. It was totally cool during that time. Once you enter Jerash archaeological site entrance , you will have to undergo a security test. Post that, you will witness lot of shops if you are interested to do some shopping. I would suggest to keep the shopping at the end of the day as it might consume lot of your time. After you pass the shops, you will have to buy the tickets to enter the site.

Note : Tickets to Jerash will cost you 10 JD per person. I would suggest to pack some stuffs to fill your stomach before entering the site as it will be a long day out in Jerash.

Our journey to Jerash archaeological site began. It was a pleasant weather to start with. Let me walk you through this fascinating site. 🙂

1.Arch of Hadrian

At the entrance, you will witness a mammoth gateway which is the Arch of Hadrian. The Arch of Hadrian is an 11-meter high triple-arched gateway erected to honor the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to the city in the winter of 129–130 AD. The Arch originally stood to almost 22 meters and probably had wooden doors. This arch puts you in a lot of curiosity about what other things you would be seeing once you enter it.

2.Hippodrome

Once you enter the arch of Hadrian, you can notice the Hippodrome to the left, a massive arena which was 245 meter long and 52 meter wide and could seat 15,000 spectators at a time for chariot races and other sports. The exact date of its construction is unclear but it is estimated between the mid-second to third century AD. It is now also possible to re-live the days when gladiators and charioteers appeared before the crowds, with regular re-enactments by the Roman Army and Chariot Experience (RACE).

Almost everyday , there will be a show organized to showcase about the roman period on the activities in Hippodrome for visitors. Note that this show is not for free and you will have to shell out around 10 to 15 JD per person.

3.South Gate

Two hundred meters north from the hippodrome, there stands the South Gate, which was likely constructed during 130  AD and originally served as one of four entrances along the city walls. Along the way you can see how the Roman city, then as now, split over both sides of Wadi Jerash, with most of the residential area lying east of the wadi. The visitor center is on the right before the gate.

4. Oval Plaza

Located after the South gate is the spectacular Oval Plaza. The spacious plaza measures 90mx80m and is surrounded by a broad sidewalk and colonnade of 1st century AD Ionic columns. There are two alters in the middle, and a fountain was added in the 7th Century AD. This square structure now supports a central column, which was recently built to carry the Jerash Festival Flame.

Stay tuned for my next post to know more about Jerash’s remaining treasures.

It was a time well spent in the Jerash 🙂 . It filled our minds with the history of Jerash. A must visit for people who love history 🙂 .

I hope these pics will make you visit Jordan whenever you plan your next travel. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment here.

TIPS AND INFORMATION

1.If you are planning to explore Jordan completely , better to opt for a Jordan Pass from this link https://www.jordanpass.jo/ instead of getting the visa from embassy or On-Arrival. If you buy a Jordan Pass, you can save up to 40 USD per person.

2. If you want to explore amman’s historical sites, better to book accommodation near to the downtown.

3.JD – Jordanian Dinar , USD – United States Dollars

4.Never miss to visit the Hashem restuarant which is one of the oldest and pretty famous in Jordan. 

5.You can use Uber for transportation in Amman which is less expensive compared to normal taxi’s.