Gadara

Welcome to the ancient and resplendent city of Gadara, widely known today by its modern Arabic name, Umm Qais. As we stand upon this elevated plateau in the northwesternmost corner of Jordan, we find ourselves at a profound…

As we begin our walking route through the site, our first major encounter is a striking juxtaposition of eras: the abandoned Ottoman village of Umm Qais. Before you stand the remarkably preserved remains of a nineteenth and…

Following the path from the village, we arrive at the viewing terrace, a location that offers what is undoubtedly one of the most historically and geographically significant panoramas in the entire Middle East. Step up to the…

We now step onto the Cardo Maximus, the primary colonnaded thoroughfare that served as the beating, commercial heart of ancient Gadara. In any standard Roman city, the Cardo is a majestic, wide boulevard running precisely from…

Continuing along the central axis of the city, we arrive at a magnificent complex of ruins that beautifully illustrates the sweeping religious and civic transformations of the region: the central Basilica and the adjacent Roman…

We now approach one of the most structurally impressive surviving monuments in Gadara: the West Theater. Carved directly into the hillside, this magnificent entertainment venue immediately commands attention due to its striking,…

Leaving the civic center behind, we journey to the outskirts of the ancient city to explore a darker, more mysterious aspect of Gadara's history: the subterranean tombs and the underground mausoleum complex. As we approach the…

Having emerged from the subterranean tombs, we walk to the sheer, dramatic drop-offs on the periphery of the site: the famed Cliffs of the Gadarenes. As you stand here, looking down the steep, treacherous slopes toward the…

For our final structural stop, we move to a different overlook, one that faces away from the Sea of Galilee and points directly down into the deep, winding gorge of the Yarmouk River. The physical beauty of this rugged valley is…

As we draw our journey through Gadara to a close, let us pause near the entrance gate to collect our thoughts. The site of Umm Qais is not merely a collection of scattered stones; it is a profound, densely layered text written…