Jerash

One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities in the world, located in the hills north of Amman and occupied continuously since the Neolithic. The monumental colonnaded street, forum oval, theatres, and temples remain largely intact, with some columns still standing at their original height. The oval forum, an unusual shape for a Roman public space, serves as the entry to the cardo maximus and creates a sweeping architectural composition particularly effective in early morning light. Annual re-enactments of Roman-era life and chariot racing take place within the hippodrome.