Attractions
Umm Qais
Site of the famous miracle of the Gadarene swine, Gadara was renowned in its time as a cultural centre. It was the home of several classical poets and philosophers, including Theodorus, founder of a rhetorical school in Rome, and was once called “a new Athens” by a poet. Perched on a splendid hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee, Gadara is known today as Umm Qays, and boasts an impressive colonnaded street, a vaulted terrace, and the ruins of two theatres. You can take in the sights and then dine on the terrace of a fine restaurant with a breathtaking view.
Pro-tip: While some tourists drive directly from Amman to Umm Qais, most take the opportunity to visit Jerash or Ajloun along the way
UMM QAYS ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE
Umm Qays (Gadara), built using stunning black basalt stones, was one of the cities of the Decapolis, planned with a Roman city layout. The Ottoman village on top of part of the ancient city was acquired by the Department of Antiquities who now has several excavation and conservation projects at the site, including the restoration of the main (west) theatre.
The location of Umm Qays is particularly significant. Visitors to the site can view the Syrian Golan Heights, Mount Hermon, Lake Tiberias and the north Palestinian plains.
UMM QAYS MUSEUM
The museum, which is located in one of the houses in the Ottoman village of Umm Qays, composed of two exhibition halls. In the first hall, various ceramics dating from the Hellenistic up to the Islamic periods are on display, along with finds from the tombs at Umm Qays.
The second hall is dedicated to statuary, mostly from the Roman period. Into the large courtyard, basalt sarcophagi, column capitals and bases, two basalt gates, mosaics and the famous seated Tyche were moved from the site.
PELLA
in the midst of the Jordan Valley are the ruins of the ancient city of Pella, one of the cities of the fabled Roman Decapolis. Pella is of great importance to archaeologists because it reveals evidence of 6000 years of continuous settlement. In fact, it’s regarded as the most historically significant site in all Jordan. Centered on a large tell and surrounded by fertile valleys that together comprise a rich watershed, Pella has fostered human civilization from the Stone Age to medieval Islamic times. The ruins lie a few kilometers away from the modern Arab village of Taqabat Fahl.
THINGS TO DO /PLACES TO VISIT
- BEEKEEPING AT BARAKA DESTINATIONS
- LOCAL KITCHEN EXPERIENCE
- ROMERO RESTURAUNT
- BEIT AL FANNAN
The Jordan Trail
UMM QAIS TO AJLOUN
In the most northern region of the trail, lush, green hills and canyons carry you to ancient Roman sites, over rolling hills, and through oak forests. The diverse and fertile landscape here with its ancient olive trees and hot springs bursts into bloom every spring, with the trees laden with fresh fruit. The villages here are pioneers of community-based tourism with homestays, home-cooked meals, and handicraft stalls adding a true cultural experience to this beautiful northern corner of Jordan.
Total Length: 80 KM
Days: 6 Hiking days
Main sites in the region:
– Ruins of Roman Decapolis cities at Um Qais and Pella
– Ziglab Dam
– Jesus Cave, Beit Idis Church
– Byzantine monastery ruins at Tel Mar Elias, birthplace of the prophet Elijah
– Community tourism and rural scenery in the al-Ayoun village
– Medieval mountaintop site of Ajloun Castle
