Jarash

Often called the ‘Pompeii of the East’, Jerash stands as one of the best-preserved and most complete provincial Roman cities outside of Italy. Walking through the monumental Hadrian’s Arch and into the vast Oval Plaza, framed by a stunning colonnade, is to be instantly transported to the height of the Roman Empire. The city’s grand theater, where the acoustics still allow a coin dropped on the stage to be heard in the highest tier, and the remarkably intact Cardo Maximus, with its ancient paving stones and ruts from chariot wheels, offer an unparalleled, tangible connection to daily life two thousand years ago. It is a masterclass in Roman urban planning, remarkably intact and hauntingly evocative.

Perched on a breathtakingly high promontory where the borders of Jordan, Syria, and the Golan Heights converge, Umm Qais is a feast for both the historian and the artist. This was once the illustrious Greco-Roman city of Gadara, one of the Decapolis, and its lavish ruins are beautifully preserved. Stroll along the restored Ottoman-era street, a charming collection of houses and an archaeology museum, before gazing out from the famous West Terrace. From here, your eyes are treated to a panoramic masterpiece: the shimmering waters of the Sea of Galilee, the Yarmouk River gorge, and on a clear day, the distant Golan Heights. It is a place where the sublime beauty of the landscape provides a perfect, contemplative backdrop to ancient grandeur.

Rising from a forested hilltop in northern Jordan, Ajloun Castle (Qal’at Ar-Rabad) is a masterclass in medieval military architecture. Built in 1184 by a nephew of Saladin, this imposing fortress was designed to thwart Crusader advances and control the lucrative iron mines below. Today, its labyrinthine corridors, vaulted chambers, and sweeping battlements offer a thrilling journey into the Ayyubid era. The panoramic views from the ramparts—stretching across the Jordan Valley and into the Golan Heights—are nothing short of cinematic, making it a must-visit for history enthusiasts and landscape lovers alike.

Nestled in the fertile foothills of the Jordan Valley, Pella (known in Arabic as Tabaqat Fahl) is one of the Levant’s most enduring yet understated archaeological sites. Human occupation here spans an astonishing 8,000 years, from Neolithic farmers to the Umayyad caliphs, but the city’s golden age arrived under the Greeks and Romans, when it flourished as a Decapolis metropolis. Unlike the theatrical grandeur of Jerash, Pella whispers its history through layered strata: a Byzantine cathedral built atop a Roman temple, a residential quarter with intact mosaic floors, and a remarkably preserved Umayyad mosque complex. The site sprawls across a natural terrace, framed by olive groves and the dramatic backdrop of Jebel Sartaba. Excavations are ongoing, and the sense of discovery is palpable — you often share the colonnaded streets with archaeologists rather than tour groups. It is a scholar’s delight and a traveller’s quiet revelation.