The hook
One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere, where you walk an intact colonnaded main street rutted by chariot wheels, into a rare oval forum ringed by columns, all in golden stone.
01Why it's worth it
While Petra is Nabataean, Jerash is Rome, and it is remarkably complete. One of the cities of the Decapolis, it flourished for centuries and left an unusually intact townscape: a grand colonnaded street, or cardo, running the length of the city with the original paving and even the grooves worn by chariot wheels, a striking oval plaza surrounded by a colonnade, temples to Zeus and Artemis on their terraces, two theatres, and arches and fountains, all in warm honey-coloured limestone. Because so much survives standing, it is easy to picture the living Roman provincial city in a way that ruins reduced to foundations never allow, and the theatres are still used for performances. Close to Amman and often overlooked in the rush to Petra, it makes a rewarding half-day and a strong complement to Jordan's more famous desert sites.
02How to experience it
Walk the length of the colonnaded cardo to the oval plaza and up to the temples, and climb the theatre seats for the overview. Go early or late for the light and cooler air. It is an easy day trip from Amman, and pairs with the hills and castles of northern Jordan.