We spent much of the day in Jerash, one of the larger cities in Jordan, less than an hour from Amman to the north and not far from Syria. It is home to one of the best restored Roman ruins in the Middle East. It had been thirty years since I last visited Jerash and the changes were numerous. Not only had the restorations proceeded apace, there was a better approach to making them approachable by the public, and more opportunities for an improved revenue stream for the state. This is essential, for if a heritage site of this magnitude and historical importance can't make money, it can't support the continuing dig and reconstruction essential to its commercial viability.
Jordan also considers its citizen's rights to the country's history. For a resident, the entrance fee to the controlled site is one-half dinar or about 70 U.S. cents; for tourists, its eight dinars or over eleven U.S. dollars. It's still a bargain and one the best eleven dollars you'll ever spend for an afternoon's activity, especially as you can walk and climb all over the ruins, many of which have been put back to use (the hippodrome and the excellent amphitheater). In fact, you'll need a half-day—it's that big.
I had the definite impression that the entire enterprise was a bit underfunded and suffered from inattention. This was all the more surprising as it's the second most important tourist site in Jordan (following Petra), and has such an enormous potential. Staff was mostly out of sight and the entire area—and this is a BIG site—was rather shabby: signs weathered and bent, trash uncollected, exhibits dusty and dark. There is a dearth of explanation throughout the site and the educational aspects could receive more attention. It was out of season, of course, but there were many tourists trekking about. Perhaps I'm being a bit unfair, and things will get spiffed up for the winter and spring seasonal traffic.
I could write more about the site, for example its unusual oval forum with a beautiful colonnade, the amphitheater, the Cardo or shopping street, or Artemis's temple, or… But frankly, if you can read this you can do your own research. I suggest Wikipedia, which has an excellent summary of Jerash's (Gerasa of Roman times) past and present. Not mentioned however, is the rocking column in Artemis's temple known to locals and tour guides. Erosion and time has left the huge column moving in the wind. The movement is barely discernable, but someone has levered a spoon to illustrate the movement. You have to clamber about a bit to see it. Disconcerting but fun.
Jordan has done a good job of keeping the modern city at arm's length and has respected the cultural value of the Roman constructs. That said, there is so much to ancient Jerash that it pops up throughout the city of today—it's never out of sight. An example was the restaurant where we had lunch, called Yahala (Arabic for You're Welcome—a familiar term, sort of like the French tu rather than the more formal vous). This is an old and somewhat eccentrically-decorated large restaurant built into the side of a hill, and adjacent to the site boundary. Look up, and you can see part of the ruins; you can even climb up and inspect them close-up. This eatery has poignancy for the family; members have been coming here since it opened in 1973. Many of the tables are tucked away at different levels under the trees. It's a wonderful place to lose a couple of hours and find peace of mind. Don't be put off by the neighborhood which is a bit shabby. The restaurant is friendly and recommended.
The trip to Jerash is through some of the most beautiful terrain Jordan offers, and the road is now modern. The region is mountainous with some great views, so the drive is well worth while even without a visit to the ruins. Jordan is several generations into reforesting its lands and has several programs to encourage the planting of trees. The benefits are now very visible.
No comments:
Post a Comment