Umm Qais
Umm Qais, Ancient Gadara, A Decapolis City Of The Greek And Roman Periods Built Of Black Basalt, With A Colonnaded Street, Two Theatres, A Byzantine Church And A Museum In An Ottoman House. Famous For Views Of The Sea Of Galilee, The Golan Heights And The Yarmouk Valley, And For Jesus'S Miracle Of The Swine In The Gospels. · Umm Qais, Irbid
Umm Qais is the ruin of ancient Gadara, a Decapolis city on a ridge in the far north-west corner of Jordan, about 110 km (2 hours) from Amman. Greeks knew it as a town of philosophers and poets, among them Menippus and Meleager, and the Gospels place the miracle of the swine here. Everything is built of BLACK BASALT: the West Theatre with about 3,000 seats, the North Theatre, the Basilica Terrace, the paved main street (Decumanus Maximus), the Roman baths and an Ottoman house that is now a small museum. The reason to come is the view over the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights and the Yarmouk valley. Be honest about size: it is smaller than Jerash, so an hour or two is enough, but the setting is better. A small museum, a cafe and a local guide at the gate are the only services. The border is close, so photography rules matter and drones are not allowed. Reaching it without a car means a bus to Irbid and then a service taxi, so allow a full day. Go late in the day, when the light on the lake is best, and bring water.
Hilltop town and Roman Gadara ruins on the north-west border of Jordan, about 110 km north-west of Amman and 25 km from Irbid, overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights, Umm Qais, Irbid, Jordan
Open daily, usually from morning until late afternoon, with shorter days in winter. The ticket office and museum can close earlier than the open ruins. Entry is covered by the Jordan Pass. The cafe on the terrace keeps its own hours, and the site can be CLOSED on public holidays or in bad weather.