Idée #571 – Exploring the antique city of Gadara in Umm Quais in Jordan
The antique city of Gadara, in Hebrew “gader” ( the “border” ), is nearby of the city of Umm Qeis, in the province of Irbid in Jordan. The city also bore the name of Antioch or Antiochia Sémiramis and Séleucie, and was a member of the cities of Decapole. The city was taken by Antiochos the IIId during its first invasion of Palestine in 218 BC In 102 BC, Alexandre Jannée invested it and took it after a siege of ten months. Pompée would have restored it towards 63 BC, to please Démétrius, his emancipated slave, native of the city, whom he had bought on the market to the slaves of Rome. Démétrius, who had exiled himself following the wars led by Alexandre Jannée and his politics of judaïsation, would afterward have became richer than its former master, and would have made build in Rome the theater attributed to Pompée. In the death of Herod, the city was gathered in the province of Syria in 4 BC. At the beginning of the revolt of the Jews, the region was destroyed. A part of the city went to Vespasien, who places a garrison there. It remained an important city, and became the bishop’s seat. In 636, the city fell to the hands of the Arabs, after the defeat of the Byzantines in the battle of Yarmouk. Gadara was largely destroyed by an earthquake in 747, before being abandoned.
The city was surrounded with a 3 km long rampart, flanked by quadrangular or polygonal towers. The ruins of two theaters, a basilica, a temple and many more public buildings are still visible. A paved street, lined with a double colonnade, crosses the city from east to west. The site was registered on the indicative list on the UNESCO world heritage since 2001.
Quelques Images
Where is it ?
Gadara, Umm Queis, Jordan