Gadara: Jordan's Ancient Black City

Umm Qais, also known as Gadara, is an ancient city in northern Jordan that contains ruins from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. The site is located on a ridge 378 metres above sea level, overlooking the Sea of Tiberias, the Golan Heights, and the Yarmouk River gorge. Umm Qais is divided into three main areas: the archaeological site (Gadara), the traditional village (Umm Qais), and the modern town of Umm Qais. The oldest archaeological evidence at Umm Qais extends back to the second half of the third century BCE, and the site appears to have been founded as a military colony by Alexander the Great's Macedonian Greeks. Gadara was a centre of Greek culture in the region during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The city was strategically important and was repeatedly the focus of military conquests throughout the succession of Syrian Wars between 274 - 188 BCE. #dreamvoyage