Photos of Jordan: Um Qais and Ajloun

The ancient Gadara, one of the cities of the Decapolis and traditionally the place where the Gadarene swine rushed down the hill to drown, today Um Qais is off the usual tourist track, tucked away in a corner of Jordan on a promontory high above the Sea of Galilee and the Galilee countryside.

This was not always the case: in ancient times Gadara was on a number of trade routes passing north to south and east to west between Syria and Palestine. It was a centre of trade, and also of knowledge, with many distinguished writers, philosophers and poets choosing to live there. The town reached its peak of prosperity in the second century AD.

Notice the beautiful Corinthian capitals on the Decumanus

The main street, the Decumanus Maximum, was lined with shops and stretched for nearly two kilometers. Um Qais is in fact a huge site, far larger than Jerash, which, although another of the cities of the Decapolis, was a regional market town, rather than the centre of the arts and cultural life which was Gadara. However for some reason, Um Qais has never been allocated the funds necessary for proper archaeological research and little of the original city can be seen today.

The remains of a Byzantine church

One of the interesting things about Um Qais is that the original Roman city is also the site of an abandoned village from the Ottoman period. The Roman basilica is also the site of a Byzantine church dating from the fifth or sixth century. The ground was cut into the hill to make a flat surface, and the downhill side is supported by the remains of shops from the Byzantine period.

A number of the houses from the Ottoman village still stand, and there is some talk of converting them into a holiday village. While we are waiting for something (anything?) to happen about this, it is an interesting place to wander, and makes a change from the Roman part of the city.

The theatre is not well preserved, and archaeologists have been working on restoring it for a number of years. Here you see the parts that are not in ruins. Notice the seats near the "orchestra", presumably available at higher prices than the others.

This is the remains of a tower of a gate, which led to a mausoleum. Whatever remains of it, it isn't accessible to the public, the entrance is kept locked.

The view of the sea of Tiberius from the terrace of the Resthouse at Um Qais

Um Qais is known for its beautiful view over the Palestinian countryside, overlooking Lake Tiberius (also known as the Sea of Galilee. Many people of Palestinian origin come here to sit on the terrace and look out over the lands where they used to live and where many of their relatives still live. Invariably their children come too.

On Fridays, a visit to Um Qais is a regular days' outing and it is crowded. If you prefer to look around the ruins more quietly, it would probably be better to come on another day.

Getting there

There is no direct transport from Amman to Um Qais. There is a regular bus service from Irbid, but the trouble is, of course, that Irbid is not a town that holds any attraction for tourists. However if you don't have a car and you want to see Um Qais fairly cheaply, then this is the only way that you can do it.

Ajloun

The castle of Ajloun was built in 1184 by a nephew of Salah al-Din (Saladin to Westerners) to defend the land held by the Arabs from the Crusaders. It is almost opposite the Castle of Belvoir on the other side of the Jordan. At that time it was known as Qalat al Rabadh. Originally it was a square castle with a tower at each corner; it was enlarged some forty years later, when another tower was built.

Under the Mamelukes, Ajloun was one of the chain of castles which, using heliograph, fire beacons and pigeon post, could transmit messages from Damascus to Cairo within twelve hours.

It was severely damaged by earthquakes in the 18th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, and restoration work is proceeding.

Alone on its hill, and looking over some magnificent countryside, Ajloun was admirably sited and was never taken by the Crusaders, although the Mongols in the 13th century occupied it for a short time before it was retaken by its original owners.

The entrance to the castle

The moat is still there and the castle is entered over a modern bridge.

The interior is full of rambling corridors and staircases. Notice the "murder holes" in the photo on the left, through which boiling oil or pitch (or whatever else was handy) could be poured on any invader.

This part of Jordan is one of the most fertile regions, it is seldom that no rain falls here in winter. From the castle one has an impressive view over the cultivated terraces nearby. The grass is lush as you see, and the goats are finding ample forage.

Getting there

The town of Ajlun is about 5 kilometers from the castle. Ajlun is well served by public transport, there are regular minibuses from the Abdali bus station in Amman and also from Jerash. An early start would let you visit both sites in the day.

When you reach the town of Ajlun a taxi will be happy to take you to the castle! You can probably negotiate a rate allowing a visit there and a return trip in the same taxi. If you prefer to walk it, why not, but 5kms up a steep hill in the sun is thirsty work....

There are a couple of hotels in Ajloun. Try the Al Rabad Castle hotel (tel 02.642.0202) or the Ajloun Hotel (tel 02.642.0524). Both of them are some distance from the centre of the town.

Acknowledgements

I should like to thank Todd Bolen of Moshav Yad HaShmonah, D.N. Harei Yehuda, Israel for the use of his beautiful photos of Um Qais from www.bibleplaces.com. Many thanks for this, Todd!

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