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It competes with Pompeii, so it is not easy.
And it is that the Jordanian city of Jerash is classified as the second best preserved in the
Roman Empire
in the world after the Italian, infinitely more famous, but not for that reason more interesting.
In fact, some of the remains of this ancient city located
just 50 kilometers from the capital of the Arab country
, Amman, remain even better than those of Pompeii despite not having been covered by lava from a volcano.
Not surprisingly, it is the second best-maintained Roman city in the entire Middle East.
Hence, it is called the Pompeii of the Arab world and it is the most visited place in Jordan after
the monumental Petra.
Only its entrance through
Hadrian's triumphal arch
is a sample of the splendor that it monopolized in ancient times.
It sports a triple arch raised to honor the visit of the homonymous emperor in the winter of the year 129. Its height is
11 meters
and it is estimated that it was twice that height and that it had wooden doors.
The Oval Plaza of ancient Gerasa.JTB
The so-called Gerasa was a member of the Decapolis, the federation of 10 cities (among which were also
Damascus,
Philadelphia -the current Amman- or Escitópolis, in Israel) that fought
against the Nabataeans of Petra
for the leadership of this region on the border eastern Roman Empire.
The Way of Egeria
In the second half of the 1st century, it reached
its greatest splendor
as a commercial strategic point, but an earthquake in 749 caused its destruction and its abandonment for more than 10 centuries.
The excavations of the archaeological site
did not begin until 70 years ago
(although no more than 30% of the total has been discovered), which brought to light authentic treasures such as the
Plaza Oval,
with a size of 90 meters long by 80 meters wide , elliptical shape and surrounded by 56 impressive Ionic columns.
Representation in the hippodrome of the Roman city.JTB
Jerash also exhibits numerous temples such as that of Artemis, theaters, houses, shops,
Byzantine basilicas with mosaics in Hebrew (there were 13 churches) and even a hippodrome, where ancient
horse races
and gladiator fights
are currently represented.
.
The Roman road that ran through it, designed by the Iberian emperor Trajan, can also be explored and you can even see the traces of the horse-drawn carriages that passed through it.
The triumphal arch of Adriano.JTB
Obviously, it is not the only historical site in Jordan.
Not surprisingly, the country is also proud of having a tour of unique biblical enclaves that could start with the Dead Sea, which appeared in the Holy Scriptures under the name of salt, from Arabah (the valley in which it is located). or from the East, as that is its orientation with respect to the Promised Land.
In addition, Jesus himself
was baptized by his cousin John
in the Jordan River in the Bethany area, on the border line with Israel.
Today, it is a sanctuary recognized by Pope John Paul II.
Around it, churches of different religions and hostels welcome pilgrims from all over the planet.
Monolith of Mount Nebo, where Moses died.JTB
We continue on
Mount Nebo
, the place where Moses died contemplating the desired Canaan.
Rising 849 meters high, a plaque points to Jericho, Jerusalem or the
Mount of Olives,
the same landscape that the Galician Egeria, considered the first Hispanic traveler and writer, surveyed after completing her
journey to the Holy Land from Spain
between the years 381 and 384. He recounted it in his book
Itinerarium ad Loca Santa
.
Today, a new hiking and cultural route in his name,
El Camino de Egeria,
designed by tour guide Óscar Koshebye (from a Jornada family, but born in Spain), will cover part of his feat
from Mount Nebo to Bethany
over six stages.
Part of the new Path of Egeria.I.
GARCIA
The Bible tour continues at
Tell Mall Elijah,
the mountain from which the eponymous prophet ascended to heaven.
Then we would arrive at the Maqueronte fortress where Salome danced before Herod Antipas before asking him for the
head of Saint John
, as well as the cave where he died beheaded.
Sodom and Gomorrah
would be missing ,
which before being destroyed by God "with fire and brimstone" were next to the Dead Sea.
Salt, the ancient capital of Jordan
The tour of the country cannot end without visiting the
city of Salt,
the first capital of Jordan and a pioneer in having a hospital, school, electricity or running water in homes.
Today, it is worth taking a walk through its medieval streets dotted with
markets, charming cafes and hundred-year-old houses
with rooftops where you can try the national dish,
mansaj
(a characteristic and forceful rice with lamb and almonds seasoned with goat's milk sauce). ).
Write down this name to taste it:
Zou'bi House
.
The person in charge is Fátima Zou'bi through a
project to empower women
so that they can be economically independent.
She is in charge of cooking for her guests in her own house, which she also invites to visit, starting with the room full of photographs with
Queen Rania
, whom she reveres.
"She has come several times and always supports us a lot," says Fátima.
What's more, in this house the Jordanian met her counterpart in the Netherlands,
Máxima Zorreguieta,
after she said she wanted to meet her.
So good was the connection that they later traveled together to
Mecca.
In addition to having lunch, at Zou'bi House you can also take a cooking class, get henna tattoos or even try on the typical clothing of the country.
Complete local experience.
Fatima, head of Zou'bi House in Salt.I.
GARCIA
PRACTICAL GUIDE
HOW TO GET.
Royal Jordanian
and
Ryanair
fly to Amman from Spain.
WHERE TO SLEEP.
Grand Hyatt Amman
.
A perfect five-star as an operations base in the capital to then tour the entire country.
In addition, cities like Jerash are just a 40-minute drive away.
Mövenpick Petra and Dead Sea.
Perfect for getting to know Petra (the first one is located right at the entrance) and the Dead Sea.
Captain's Desert Camp.
Bedouin camp in the Wadi Rum desert, another of the country's must-sees.
WHERE TO EAT.
Local cuisine in
Majdlolyn
(Amman) and
Al Wadi
(Wadi Musa).
Iraq Al Amir
Women's Cooperative
,
Beit Sitti
(Amman) and
Zou'bi House
(Salt) offer personalized culinary experiences.
MORE INFORMATION.
On the website of the
Jordanian Tourist Office:
www.visitajordania.com, in Spanish.
You can follow
El Mundo Viajes
on
,
and
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