Middle East - Anthony Ham [300]
Surrounding the museum are the ruins of the Ottoman village dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and also known as the acropolis.
Sleeping & Eating
Umm Qais Hotel ( 7500080; s/d from JD10/15) This modest, friendly option on the main street of the modern village has bright and airy rooms (some with en-suite bathrooms). There’s a small ground-floor restaurant and rooftop café.
Umm Qais Resthouse ( 7500555; meals JD5-10; 10am-7pm, to 10pm Jun-Sep; ) This much-loved restaurant, with lovely views of Galilee and the Golan Heights, is located inside a converted Ottoman house within the ruins of Gadara. The Resthouse offers an impressive seasonal menu highlighting fresh vegetarian produce and locally raised meats.
Getting There & Away
Minibuses leave Irbid’s north bus station for Umm Qais (less than JD1, 45 minutes) on a regular basis. To continue to Pella on public transport, you’ll have to backtrack to Irbid.
PELLA (TABAQAT FAHL)
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Near the village of Al-Mashari’a are the ruins of the ancient city of Pella, 2km east (and uphill) of the road. The ruins require considerable imagination but the setting is superb.
Pella flourished during the Greek and Roman periods and, like Jerash and Amman, was one of the cities of the Decapolis. The city also came under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty, Seleucids and Jews, with the latter largely destroying Pella in 83 BC. Christians fled to Pella from Jerusalem to escape persecution from the Roman army in the 2nd century AD. The city reached its peak during the Byzantine era and there were subsequent Islamic settlements until the site was abandoned in the 14th century.
Of most interest are the ruins atop the hill on your right as you enter through the main gate. These include an Umayyad settlement with shops, residences and storehouses, the small, 14th-century Mamluk mosque, and the Canaanite temple, which was constructed around 1270 BC and was dedicated to the Canaanite god Baal.
Also of interest is the Byzantine church, which was built atop an earlier Roman civic complex, and the east church, up the hill to the southeast.
Sleeping & Eating
Pella Countryside Hotel ( 079 5574145; s/d half board JD25/30) The manager of the famous Pella Rest House also runs this charmer of a B&B, with a family feel and splendid views. The seven rooms are well kept, with private en-suite bathroom, hot shower and country-style flourishes. From February to May, black irises, the national flower of Jordan, bloom in the owner’s garden.
Pella Rest House ( 079 55574145; meals JD4-8; noon-7pm) With exceptional views over Pella and the Jordan Valley, this famous restaurant offers an enticing menu highlighting regional cuisine – the fresh St Peter’s fish is plucked straight from the Jordan River.
Getting There & Away
From Irbid’s West bus station, minibuses go frequently to Al-Mashari’a (less than JD1, 45 minutes). Pella is a steep 2km walk up from the highway, which can be punishing in summer. Unlicensed minibuses (100 fils) run reasonably regularly up to the main entrance of Pella, but check the price first as overcharging is common. There is no direct transport from Amman.
THE DEAD SEA & AROUND
There are several excellent reasons to visit the Dead Sea region, not least for a float in the sea itself (opposite), especially if you’re not visiting the Israeli side. Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan is an important archaeological site that pinpoints a major event in the life of Jesus to a remarkably specific location on the banks of the Jordan River.
For something completely different, beautiful Wadi Mujib offers some of Jordan’s wettest and wildest adventure opportunities.