Off the beaten path - Umm Qais (أم قيس) and the Roman Ruins of Gadara near Golan Hights

Umm Qais (أم قيس) is home to the ancient city of Gadara in Jordan. The city is located around 110 kilometres north of Amman, about a two-hour drive by car. It stood on a hill nearly 400 metres above sea level, overlooking the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Gadara is known for its Roman ruins and the Aqueduct of Gadara, the longest walkable water tunnel from Roman times in the world. So make sure to watch until the end to see this impressive water system. The first settlements at Gadara date back to the Hellenistic period. The city was mentioned in 218 BC by the Greek historian Polybius as an already important city. In 63 BC, Gadara was placed under Roman control. It then became one of the semi-autonomous cities of the Roman Decapolis. Later, Gadara became part of the Roman province of Syria. The location of the city on a hill nearly 400 metres above sea level, overlooking the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee, with the city of Tiberias in Israel visible in the distance, makes this an interesting part of a visit to Jordan. During the Arab-Israeli War in 1967, Umm Qais's strategic location put it on the front line of the conflict. Heavy shelling from the Golan Heights and bombing by aircraft damaged both the village and the ancient city of Gadara. There is a small museum with some artefacts found during excavations, which you can visit. It is not the largest and is certainly much smaller than the one in Jerash. The Nymphaeum was the public fountain of Gadara and dates back to the 2nd century. The remains give testimony to its once intricate decorations. The Cardo Maximus runs in an east-west direction and is paved with stones showing signs of heavy use. It gives an impression of the size of the city. Not many buildings are still standing, but the ruins and remains invite you to discover the city and imagine what life was like 1,800 years ago. The central square in Gadara was the hub of the city's social and economic life. Surrounded by colonnades, it was connected to the main streets that linked the various city districts. The size of the space is impressive. As in Jerash, the central square, or forum, was a key element of Roman urban architecture. However, unlike in Jerash, where light-coloured limestone was used, dark basalt was used for the buildings in Gadara. The church which once stood at this location was a five-aisled basilica. As most churches at this time had only one or three aisles, this indicates the importance of this church. It was built around the years 360 to 370 on top of an older mausoleum. The mausoleum was discovered accidentally in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli War. It must have belonged to a wealthy and important family. Twenty vaulted shops from the Roman period, built between 100 and 200 AD, flank the Cardo Maximus. The shop façades were built with black basalt blocks, again using local materials. The theatre at Gadara is one of the best-preserved monuments. Like the vaulted shops, it was built from local dark basalt. In this respect, it contrasts with the theatres in Jerash and Amman, which were built from light-coloured limestone. The theatre also indicates the importance of the ancient city of Gadara and underscores its significance as a cultural and social hub. The Gadara Aqueduct was part of a Roman long-distance water supply system. It is believed that the system spanned a total length of approximately 155 kilometres. It originated in Syria, with parts running above ground and underground. The 106-kilometre-long section located in present-day Jordan was constructed largely underground. Parts of the water system were around 70 metres underground. It is the only section of the system that you can visit and walk through for a distance of more than 800 metres. Shafts are still visible. These were used during construction, but also to direct water from rain and cisterns into the water system. The system, which was used until the 12th century, can be visited on a guided tour. You learn about its construction and the mistakes made during the building process. Music and Voice by Epidemicsound (https://share.epidemicsound.com/l53n2l)