Off the Beaten Path in Jerash

Free Off the Beaten Path in Jerash with Roamee Pro

Roamee Pro, also known as Roamee, offers a free off-the-beaten-path walking tour route in Jerash. The audio walking tour can include stops such as Oval Forum — This unique oval-shaped Roman plaza, measuring roughly 80 by 90 meters, is surrounded by 56 Ionic columns and paved with limestone slabs arranged in a radiating pattern from the center. Its shape is unusual in Roman architecture, where forums were typically rectangular, and scholars debate whether it was designed to accommodate a pre-existing difference in axis between the Cardo Maximus and the Temple of Zeus, or whether it served as a marketplace where the oval shape facilitated the circulation of merchants and customers., Cardo Maximus — The colonnaded main street stretches 800 meters from the Oval Forum to the North Gate, its limestone paving still bearing the ruts carved by chariot and cart wheels over centuries of use. Originally lined with over 500 Corinthian columns, many still standing, the street's underground drainage system of vaulted channels remains intact, and at major intersections elaborate tetrapylon monuments marked the crossing points with secondary streets, their carved pedestals still in place., Temple of Artemis — Dedicated to the patron goddess of Gerasa, this monumental 2nd-century temple sits atop a hillside platform reached by a grand staircase, its remaining 11 Corinthian columns standing 13 meters tall and visibly swaying in strong winds, demonstrating the earthquake-resistant flexibility the Roman engineers built into the design. The temple precinct originally included a sacred enclosure larger than a football field, reflecting the enormous wealth and civic pride of Roman Gerasa at its zenith., plus hidden gems like North Theater — This smaller, more intimate theater originally served as the city's odeon (council chamber and performance hall) for an audience of about 1,600, and its sheltered location on the northern slope has preserved carved seats with Greek numerical inscriptions marking reserved sections for city officials and guild members. It is less visited than the South Theater but often hosts impromptu performances by local musicians during the Jerash Festival..

Use this page as a starting point for a Jerash walking tour, a free route, or the Roamee app for Jerash. Roamee Pro keeps the route flexible so you can follow the stops, skip ahead, or explore nearby streets at your own pace.

• •Oval Forum — This unique oval-shaped Roman plaza, measuring roughly 80 by 90 meters, is surrounded by 56 Ionic columns and paved with limestone slabs arranged in a radiating pattern from the center. Its shape is unusual in Roman architecture, where forums were typically rectangular, and scholars debate whether it was designed to accommodate a pre-existing difference in axis between the Cardo Maximus and the Temple of Zeus, or whether it served as a marketplace where the oval shape facilitated the circulation of merchants and customers.
• •Cardo Maximus — The colonnaded main street stretches 800 meters from the Oval Forum to the North Gate, its limestone paving still bearing the ruts carved by chariot and cart wheels over centuries of use. Originally lined with over 500 Corinthian columns, many still standing, the street's underground drainage system of vaulted channels remains intact, and at major intersections elaborate tetrapylon monuments marked the crossing points with secondary streets, their carved pedestals still in place.
• •Temple of Artemis — Dedicated to the patron goddess of Gerasa, this monumental 2nd-century temple sits atop a hillside platform reached by a grand staircase, its remaining 11 Corinthian columns standing 13 meters tall and visibly swaying in strong winds, demonstrating the earthquake-resistant flexibility the Roman engineers built into the design. The temple precinct originally included a sacred enclosure larger than a football field, reflecting the enormous wealth and civic pride of Roman Gerasa at its zenith.
• •South Theater — This exceptionally well-preserved Roman theater, built during the reign of Emperor Domitian in the late 1st century AD, seated approximately 3,000 spectators in 32 rows of limestone seats, with the upper rows offering views of the entire city and surrounding hills. The stage building's carved niches and columns survive in remarkable detail, and the theater's acoustics remain so effective that the Royal Jordanian Army band and visiting performers use it for concerts during the annual Jerash Festival.

• •North Theater — This smaller, more intimate theater originally served as the city's odeon (council chamber and performance hall) for an audience of about 1,600, and its sheltered location on the northern slope has preserved carved seats with Greek numerical inscriptions marking reserved sections for city officials and guild members. It is less visited than the South Theater but often hosts impromptu performances by local musicians during the Jerash Festival.