Jerash and Um Qais

On Friday I had the opportunity to visit the ancient cities of Jerash and Um Qais. I looked at my thermometer/compass at 11am and it read 110 degrees. The day was "hot" in both a historical and temperature sense.

The sites were huge and amazing. I have posted all of the pictures from my tour here:[http://picasaweb.google.com/RobertNMarcus/JerashAndUmQais], but I will describe a few of the sites below.

Jerash is considered one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. To this day, its colonnaded streets, baths, theaters, plazas and arches remain in exceptional condition. Within the remaining city walls, archaeologists have found the ruins of settlements dating back to the Neolithic Age, indicating human occupation at this location for more than 6500 years. This is not surprising, as the area is ideally suited for human habitation. Jerash is fed year-round with water and it has a relatively moderate climate.

When you first enter the ancient city of Jerash you are confronted with Hadrian's Arch (below). This 11m high, triple arched gateway was built in honer of the visit of the Roman emperor Hadrian to Jerash in 129-130 AD.

Walking past the Hippodrome (which was used for chariot races) you enter the amazing Oval Plaza (below). This plaza comprises a large central paved area enclosed by two curving colonnades. From here you can see the Temple of Zeus to the north (not pictured) and the Cardo to the south.

Next comes the South Theater which is perhaps the most impressive of all of Jerash's monuments. This 3000 seat theater, which is still used today, rivals the acoustics of even the most modern performance center. I stood at the center of the stage and spoke in an "inside voice" and I was heard by my friends perched in the top row.

The most important edifice in the ancient city was the Temple of Artemis. If you lean against the pillars, or insert a stick between their joints, you can cause them to sway. This brilliant piece of Roman engineering allowed the huge temple to remain standing even after multiple earthquakes.

Here is the blogger on the Jerash Cardo:


Here are Ottoman ruins (formerly shops) in Um Qais:


The view towards Israel from Um Qais:


The West Theater:

Arrival

I have safely arrived in Amman!


This week I will be staying at the American Center for Oriental Research (ACOR) which is conveniently located about three blocks from the main gate of the University of Jordan. ACOR is "a private, non-profit academic institution dedicated to promoting research and publication in the fields of archeology, anthropology, history, languages, biblical studies, Arabic, Islamic studies and other aspects of Near Eastern Studies." ACOR was kind enough to rent me a room for the week while I search for an apartment.

Here is a picture of ACOR that I borrowed from the internet (because I arrived in the dark):


Even though I have been in Amman for less than 4 hours, I have accomplished the following things:

1. I ate my first Jordanian schwarma at a schwarma stand at the 7th circle. Delicious!
2. I visited my first Jordanian cafe where I had a Turkish coffee. Also Delicious!
3. I have obtained my Jordanian cell phone, a Nokia, that has its letters written in Arabic. How appropriate!

I am happy to be here and I'm ready for the real adventure of registering for school, finding an apartment, and finding my way around the city that begins tomorrow. Until then - ma'asalaama.