Jerash Governorate
Jerash's earthquake-preserved Roman Decapolis ruins anchor northern Jordan tourism, with 2024-2025 trail development linking ancient site to modern city.
Jerash preserves Roman ruins that an earthquake in 749 AD buried and a German explorer rediscovered in 1806—one thousand years of concealment that protected the Decapolis city from stone quarrying that destroyed comparable sites elsewhere. Emperor Pompey's conquest in 63 BC began the prosperity that created the colonnaded streets, theaters, and temples that now draw tourists whose spending supports a governorate otherwise limited to agriculture.
The annual Jerash Festival transforms the archaeological site into performance venue, ballets and folkloric dancing occurring within the same spaces where Romans once entertained. Cultural tourism trails now link the ancient site with the modern city, the 2024-2025 development recognizing that archaeological assets require tourism infrastructure to generate economic impact.
The governorate's proximity to Amman (48 kilometers) enables day-trip tourism that benefits Jerash without creating the accommodation and dining revenue that overnight visitors provide. The June 2025 bus service from Jerash to Amman may change access patterns, though whether improved transport increases visitation or merely accelerates departure remains uncertain.