Jerash

Known to the Romans as Gerasa, Jerash flourished in the first centuries AD and was later buried by earthquakes and sand, which helped preserve it. Today you enter through Hadrian’s Arch, built for the emperor’s visit in 129 AD, and walk past the hippodrome to the Oval Plaza, ringed by Ionic columns.

From there the Cardo, a long colonnaded street still paved with its original stones, leads past the Temple of Artemis, an ornate fountain house and two theatres, where pipers sometimes play to show off the acoustics.

Jerash is about an hour north of Amman and takes around three hours to explore. There is little shade, so go in the morning and carry water and a hat. The site is large, so wear comfortable shoes.