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Home , Gadara, Umm Qais

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J e r a s h , I r b i d & the Valley ﺟﺮﺵ & ﺇﺭﺑﺪ & ﺍﻟﺸﻤﺎﻝ

Why Go? & Around ...... 82 You might expect that the far north of Jordan, with its ex- Dibeen Forest Reserve .....91 ceptional Roman ruins, biblical associations, lively cities Ajloun ...... 92 and complex terrain, would feature as a standard part of Ajloun Forest Reserve .....93 any visitor’s trip to the country. This, however, is not the case and the region receives relatively few visitors compared ...... 96 with and the south. For those in the know, this is excel- (Quwayliba) ...... 99 lent news as it means that it is quite possible to enjoy epic Yarmouk Battleground ....99 sites like Jerash without the epic crowds normally associ- The Jordan Valley ...... 100 ated with a world-class destination. Al-Himma (Mukheiba) ...101 Although many of the sites can be covered in a day trip ()...... 101 from , this ancient and populous region, dotted with Pella (Taqabat Fahl) ...... 104 olive groves and pine forests and liberally strewn with the Salt ...... 106 ruins of Rome’s great cities, repays a longer visit. The availability of public transport and friendly accommo- Shuneh al-Janubiyyeh (South Shuna) ...... 109 dation facilitate this and if the springtime fl owers happen to be blooming, it will prove to be a hard region to leave. -Beyond-the- Jordan (Al-Maghtas) .... 109

When to Go Best Places to The natural time to visit the northern part of Jordan is in Stay spring (March to mid-May) when the black iris, the coun- » Hadrian Gate Hotel (p90 ) try’s national fl ower, puts in a shy appearance along road- sides and a profusion of knee-high wildfl owers spill across » Olive Branch Resort (p90 ) the semiarid hillsides. » Biscuit House Bed & For culture vultures, the hot summer months of July and Breakfast (p 95 ) August bring music and poetry to the Roman ruins in the » Qalet al-Jabal Hotel (p93 ) Jerash Festival of Culture & the Arts. From early November to January, while the region’s hill towns shiver through winter, sub-tropical fruits ripen in the Best Places to Eat Jordan Valley. » Lebanese House (p 90 ) » Umm Qais Resthouse (p103 ) » Pella Rest House (p106 ) » Bethany Touristic Restaurant (p 110 ) 81 History When travelling around the far north of Sea of Fiq 0 10 km 0 6 miles Jordan, you may notice the name ‘Gilead’ River Saham S Y R I A crop up from time to time. This was the re- mouk Mukheiba Abila Yar Al-Himma gion’s name in biblical times, defi ned by the Quwayliba sculpting waters of the to the 65 Umm Qais Der'a north and the once-mighty River Jordan to Shuneh ash- 35 Shamaliyyeh Ramtha the west. The hills of Gilead have been oc- Irbid & THE (North Shuna) 10 cupied since antiquity, and were once home to the Roman Decapolis. Largely established 25 Jordan River 10 PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES Pella during the , these 10 city- 55 Al-Mashari'a states fl ourished along the boundaries of the Zubia JERASH, IRBID & THE JORDAN VALLEYJERASH, Wadi Yabis Ajloun Forest VALLEY JORDAN & THE IRBID JERASH, Greek and Semitic lands. The Romans trans- Reserve formed these cities into powerful trading Qala'at Ajloun ar-Rabad 35 centres – the torchbearers of Roman culture Dibeen 20 Forest at the furthest reaches of the empire. Kurayyuna Reserve Jerash If you’re wondering where these cities are 25 Burma Al-Majdal Tawahin

WEST today, chances are you are walking on them! BANK al-Udwin

Valley Zarqa River Northern Jordan is the most densely populat- Jordan ed area in the country, and is home to the ma- Valley Al- jor urban centre of Irbid as well as dozens of Zai National Hashimiyya Park small towns and villages which have largely JordanMuthallath Zarqa al-Misri Salt Suweileh engulfed many of the ancient sites. With a bit 30 of amateur investigation it’s easy to make out 65 Fuheis 35 15 Al-Karama Shuneh al- the ancient tells (mounds) and archaeological Janubiyyeh AMMAN remains of the Decapolis, scattered among (South Shuna) Wadi 25 as-Seer Gilead’s rolling hills. If you haven’t the time Bethany-Beyond- Sahab or inclination for such sleuthing, just head the-Jordan Na'ur 35 for Umm Qais (Gadara), Pella and most es- pecially Jerash, where there are enough clues among the standing columns, amphitheatres Northern Highlights and mosaic fl oors to conjure the full pomp and splendour of the Roman past. 1 Wander the colonnaded streets of Jerash (p83 ), a spectacularly well- Nature Reserves preserved Roman provincial city There are two reserves in the north of Jor- 2 Hike along the trails of Ajloun Forest dan, both encompassing rare woodland. Reserve (p 93 ) in the shade of trees Ajloun Forest Reserve (p93 ) is the more 3 Visit the fairy-tale castle of Qala’at developed of the two, with excellent hiking ar-Rabad (p 92 ), one of Jordan’s most trails and accommodation options. Dibeen impressive Islamic structures Forest Reserve (p91 ) is a popular spot for 4 Survey views of three countries from weekend picnics. the basalt ruins of Umm Qais (p101 ) Dangers & Annoyances 5 Conjure all eras of Jordanian history This region is bordered by Israel and the at the complex archaeological site of Palestinian Territories to the west and by Pella (p104 ) to the north. Given the sensitivity of 6 Peruse the exhibits at the Museum relations between these countries, a bit of of Archaeology & Anthropology (p 96), discretion is advised when travelling near within the vibrant campus of Yarmouk the Yarmouk or Jordan Valleys. There are University in Irbid many checkpoints, particularly around 7 Travel the subtropical Jordan Valley the convergence of those two valleys near (p100 ), sampling seasonal fruits Umm Qais, so it is imperative to carry your 8 Scoop water from the River Jordan passport and, if driving, your licence and at Bethany (p 109 ), where Jesus was car-rental details. Don’t hike too close to reputedly baptised either border. Avoid taking photographs 9 Amble by traditional houses in the near the border area – this includes photo- souq town of Salt (p 106 ) and discover graphing the River Jordan near checkpoints. how the town came by its name