Alexander, founder of Gerasa

Gerasa, known today as Jerash in Jordan, rises in the broad and fertile valley of the Chrysorrhoas River. It is said that Alexander the Great founded a Greek colony on this spot in 331 BC, although there have been previous occupations on and off, as far back as 3,000 BC.

Very little is mentioned about Alexander's visit to Gerasa by ancient historians. Only Curtius vaguely points in this direction when he tells us that the Samaritans rose up and burned Andromache, the Greek governor of Syria, alive. This happened while Alexander was in Egypt, and based on Eusebius' Chronicles, he set out immediately with Perdiccas to raze Gerasa and Samaria. Alexander avenged this murder, executed all who had slain his general, and appointed a new governor, Menon. The inhabitants were slaughtered and enslaved, after which he resettled the site with Macedonians. He must have saved much of the city after all, and not really razed it as Eusebius leads us to believe.

After the death of Alexander, Gerasa and the neighboring territories were annexed by the Ptolemies in 301 BC. During the third and second centuries BC, the Seleucids took hold of the area. They undertook a thorough Hellenization, contributing largely to developing Gerasa into a busy urban center. Antiochus III renamed the city Antiochia-on-the-Chrysorrhoas or Antiochia of the Gerasenes, and by 64-63 BC, it became a Roman province.

To properly govern Judea and Syria, situated on the eastern frontier of their empire, the Romans created a Decapolis, a group of ten cities that shared the same language, commercial relations, and political status. Each city enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy with its own Semitic, Nabataean, Aramean, and Jewish culture. We owe it to Pliny for reporting the complete list of the member cities:

Damascus (in Syria)

Philadelphia (modern Amman in Jordan)

Gerasa (now Jerash in Jordan)

Scythopolis (now Beisan in the Jordan Valley, North Israel)

Gadara (modern Umm Qays in Jordan) and once the capital of this Decapolis

Hippos (on the banks of Lake Tiberias in Israel)

Dion (probably near Irbid in Jordan, but not yet discovered)

Pella (in the Jordan Valley, northwest of Amman in Jordan)

Canatha (now Qanawat in Syria) and

Raphana (probably north of Umm Qays in Jordan, but not yet discovered either).

In 106, Emperor Trajan added the rich lands of the Nabataeans to the province of Arabia, and in the years 112-114, a new caravan route was laid out in the tracks of the 5,000-year-old existing one. This Via Nova Triana connected Syria to Aqaba, and today's main road from Amman to Aqaba still follows the same route as the King's Highway. Business with the Nabataeans flourished as they guarded the vital trade route through Petra. Consequently, Gerasa grew – also thanks to the city's fertile agricultural lands and the minerals dug in nearby Ajloun. Today's remains of Gerasa date back to those prosperous days, i.e., the 2nd/3rd century, when the city counted 20,000 inhabitants living mainly on the east side, which is still hidden underneath modern Jerash. Gerasa was one of the most thriving cities in Palestine.

By the end of the 3rd century, however, most of the trade went overseas, and the role of Gerasa became superfluous. Emperor Constantine introduced Christianity, which was widespread by the fifth century, as is proven by the many churches built here: 13 churches in 400-600 alone. The earthquake of 747 severely damaged the city, and the population decreased to about 4,000. Gerasa had become no more than a small village by the time it was incorporated into the Islamic world. Slowly, this once so proud city entirely disappeared under layers of sand till it was rediscovered in the 19th century.

This summarizes my historical baggage when I'm about to visit old Gerasa, with its fascinating round Forum that is advertised in every single tourist's brochure.

I'm happy to enter the city through (in reality, next to) the Arch of Hadrian, who honored Gerasa with a visit in the year 129. The world traveler, Hadrian! There is hardly any city that his emperor has not visited, and curiously enough, every single one of them built an Arch in loving memory. The monumental arch of Gerasa is in excellent condition, and small restorations are not prominent. As is customary, it counts three gates, and the middle passage is at least eleven meters high. Both facades are practically identical and richly decorated with acanthus leaves. The now-empty niches initially held statues, of course. Strangely enough, this arch stands about half a kilometer away, outside the city walls. At its construction, Gerasa had plans for expansion and building new walls – plans that never materialized.

The modern asphalted road runs more or less on top of the Chrysorrhoas River that divided Gerasa into two, and the Roman ruins of all the official buildings occupy the left (west) side. A modern paved road squeezes between this asphalted road and the impressive remains of the Roman Hippodrome, leading to the modern entrance gate. I walk the entire length of the Hippodrome (260 meters), where pseudo-Romans are now in full action with their horse races. The east side of the Hippodrome is best preserved with a complex system of vaults that was supposed to carry the weight of the 16 or 17 rows of seating above. I stop a moment to take a close look at the impressive length of the field, trying to picture how, in the third century, as many as 15,000 people filled the tiers.

Once inside the old city walls, I almost immediately stand in the middle of the Great Oval Forum, bordered by high Ionic columns, the iconic image of Gerasa. It's not only the oval shape that captures the attention, but also the size of this entirely paved piazza which is no less than 90 meters long! Behind the columns runs a two-meter-wide sidewalk. I stand here in awe for quite a while, trying to realize that I am really here and not staring at a picture of some kind. I could have spent much more time in this wondrous, unique spot. Although this space is generally referred to as a forum, archaeologists need to figure out the actual function of this space. The significance of the two square podiums in the middle still needs to be determined since they could have served as an altar or simply as a base for some statues. Underneath the Forum, the remains of a drainage system have been discovered – how ingenious!

Over my left shoulder lies the large Roman Theater, and ahead of me runs the Cardo, the north-south axis along the river. My view over the straight road stops at the first Tetrapylon that marks the crossing with the southern Decumanus. A second Tetrapylon stands further down the Cardo where the northern Decumanus crosses, and beyond that, approximately 800 meters further, I can see the Northern City Gate. Almost the entire length of the Cardo is framed with slender Corinthian columns behind which the sidewalk, probably once covered, leads to the entrance of the many temples of the Forum. Still, when the Cardo was enlarged in the second century, it was decided to replace the Ionian capitals with Corinthian ones – a matter of fashion, probably.

I start my walk over the Cardo and turn left into the southern Decumanus, sensitive as always to the fact that I am treading over two thousand years old pavements. Standing at the crossing where the Tetrapylon once stood as a crown jewel is another of those impressions you cannot easily forget. To my right, the road disappears under modern Jerash, but I'm intrigued by what I'll find on the left-hand side.

The most impressive building here is the Temple of Artemis. Still, it takes a while to figure out the layout among the walls and stairs that also belong to later Byzantine and Umayyad additions. Many churches have been built, and there was even a cathedral with a shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Since the Temple of Artemis was set on top of a hill, I had to cross many corridors, jump many ditches, and climb many stairs to get there. As always, the choice of the location is sublime, for the Temple commanded the view and was the most important building of Gerasa. Considering the enormous dimensions (the Temple occupies a surface of 34,000 square meters) and the grand setup of the different parts, this does not come as a surprise. It was built during the second century when the whole city underwent a facelift.

To be correct, I should have approached the temple complex from the east, where the Via Sacra, on the other side of the Cardo, starts at a central court surrounded by columns (later holding a Byzantine church) to join the Cardo flanked by two fountains. On the opposite side of the street lies a 120-meter-long portico with four massive columns, crowned with richly decorated architraves, the Propylaea. This part was lushly decorated, and the two still-existing side gates are proof of that. Several shops were spread over two levels to the left and to the right. After entering the Propylaea, I must climb wide stairs interrupted by broad terraces that provide rewarding views over the complex and the city. In the middle of the first terrace, I find the foundation of a large U-shaped altar according to Eastern traditions. An earlier Temple of Artemis may have stood here.

A second flight of stairs leads to the terrace atop the hill. Access to the central court of 161 x 121 meters was through one of the surrounding porticos. The Temple proper was framed by Corinthian columns, six on the short and eleven on the long sides. A broad set of stairs leads to the cella, the heart of the Temple. The inside walls were covered with marble, and in the back stood the statue of the goddess guarding the Temple's treasury. Two more sets of stairs led to the supposedly flat roof where, according to Eastern traditions, some rituals were carried out. It is a strange combination of Hellenistic and Roman construction elements, but this certainly is one of the largest and most impressive temples I've ever seen – more so than Didyma, for instance, which kept me in awe.

Loose blocks of columns, capitals, and architrave have been reused over the centuries to construct surrounding churches and buildings. From the fourth century onward, sections of the crepidoma were reused and reworked in the surrounding workshops. So it is no surprise to discover a huge saw in the depths next to the Temple. Big stone blocks and marble slabs could be sawn into small plates to build and decorate new constructions. This machine is a reconstruction with a wooden water wheel activated by a nearby source, i.e., the power to bring the four saws in motion. Quite an unexpected surprise!

It is while walking back down to the Cardo that I fully understand how impressive and unique the location of this Temple of Artemis must have been. Because I approached the Temple from the side instead of the Via Sacra, my first impression was entirely different. It's only now that I walk over the various terraces, surrounded or not by colonnades, to end on the staircase running over the entire width of the complex. This is how the pilgrim must have looked up the steep stairs and felt pretty small. The view from the Propylaea towards the Cardo is beautifully framed, and although I now stare at modern Jerash, it does give an excellent picture of what once was. Back on the street, I turn around for a last glimpse, but I can't even see the very Temple from here. It definitely shows an unsurpassed grandeur, one of those absolutely unique settings. My thoughts go back to Pliny and Meleagros, who compared Gadara (Umm Qays) with Athens, but I wonder what they had to say about Gerasa. As far as I'm concerned, the only comparison I can make is with the Acropolis in Athens, where you approach the Parthenon after climbing the stairs of the Propylaea in the same way.

Having reached the end of the city at what looks like an arch or a gate, I discover that I have arrived at the Northern Tetrapylon and that the Cardo still runs onwards to the northern city Gate. The land on either side has yet to be excavated and is currently used as grazing grounds for the goats.

I turn left to follow the northern Decumanus to the Small Theatre, which was probably conceived as an Odeon. It looks pretty good, but upon closer examination, it has been thoroughly restored. From the top row of seats, I can see as far as the Oval Forum, the Hippodrome, and the Arch of Hadrian – a gratifying view in the floodlights of the late evening sun. I climb down and walk behind the large Temple of Artemis, where I find a beautiful mosaic floor that once belonged to a Byzantine Basilica, behind a row of six particular churches that filled the back garden of the Temple of Artemis. From this spot, I once again enjoy a breathtaking view over Gerasa now that the colonnades and streets catch the last sunrays, particularly the fascinating circle of the Forum. There must be around 230 columns still standing! What a city! What an eye-catcher!

Retracing my steps to the long Cardo, I pass by one of the several Nymphaeums spread throughout the city. This fountain from the 2nd century is not exceptionally big but very gracious. The colonnade alongside the Cardo has been interrupted here for the 22-meter-wide entrance. Initially, this fountain was covered with slabs of colored marble, and the niches held several statues. It must have been a dazzling work of art that we can hardly imagine.

The large southern theatre is much better preserved than its smaller brother at the other end of the city, meaning that much more of the original stones have survived. Its construction started during the reign of Emperor Domitian, between 81 and 96 AD, and was financed by the people of Gerasa. It has been revealed that a certain Titus Flavius spent the sum of 3,000 drachmes for one single row of seats! The theater still boasts 4,000 seats, with a podium and the two-story paraskenia in near-perfect condition. The four times three niches just underneath the stage's border are also well-preserved. I always feel very privileged to walk up and down a theater and through its vaulted corridors, whether leading to the podium or running behind the seating area used by the theater-goers. Still today, people use these corridors, treading in the same footsteps as those from ancient times.

I walk back past the poor remains of the large Temple of Zeus. It is said that the oldest part of Gerasa lies underneath this sanctuary, maybe even the original Macedonian settlement. It would be inspiring to have confirmation of this theory one day. This Temple of Zeus, however, is pure East-Roman since it was consecrated in 162-163 during the reign of Antoninus Pius. The general plan is hard to recognize, were it not for the proud Corinthian columns. According to an inscription, a certain Theon would have paid considerable money for the Temple's construction and the bronze statue it once sheltered. The name of the architect of the first temple terrace has also been found, an inhabitant of Gerasa called Diodorus, who financed this monument during the years 27 and 28 AD. Information like this brings the stones to life, isn't it?

On this wintry day, the sun sets shortly after 4 pm, and it becomes difficult to take any more pictures, but this is when nature turns quiet and the spirits of past times come alive, isn't it?

Side didn’t put up any resistance to Alexander

The name Side means “pomegranate,” a well-known fertility symbol in antiquity that we also find on coins. The origin of Side itself is shrouded in mystery. Arrian tells us that the city was founded by people from Cyma, a town north of Smyrna (modern Izmir). However, if we believe Eusebius, the city was settled at least two hundred years before the Trojan War, i.e., about 1405 BC. For now, neither option can be proved.

In antiquity, however, Side occupied a special place because of the language spoken there, which did not resemble any other known language or dialect and didn’t sound like Greek. It was unique to Side if we believe Arrian (and why shouldn’t we believe him?). Inscriptions and coins use this unique language as far back as the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. In any case, it has been determined that it can only be of Anatolian origin, i.e., proper to Pamphylia, because it is unrelated to Sillyum or Aspendos's Greek dialects. Greek started to be used only after the conquest of Alexander the Great, which is supported by an inscription from about 300 BC.

On his march through Pamphylia in the early spring of 333 BC, Alexander took possession of Side. Not much has been said about it, just that he left a garrison behind before moving on to Sillyum. After his death, his general Ptolemy ruled the city until the Seleucid Dynasty took over in the 2nd century BC. Later on, Side was included in the Pergamon Empire. However, the town was involved in the profitable piracy business, and the Cilicians used it as a pivotal base for their slave trading. When Emperor Pompey expelled the pirates in 67 BC, the people of Side hurriedly erected a statue in his honor. The city flourished under Roman occupation but weakened as soon as the empire fell apart. This is evidenced by the city walls built about the fourth century inside the once larger city limits.

However, there was a short revival in the fifth and sixth centuries. The theater was repaired, and a new Forum was built in honor of Arcadius (395-408), as well as several other buildings. But the Arab invasion of the 7th century caused its final decline, and by the end of the 10th century, the few remaining inhabitants moved to the newly founded Antalya. The last people who lived here were the Seljuks in the 12^th century. We have to wait till 1895 when Greek Muslims migrated from Crete and sought refuge among the ruins. The new village called Selimiye, is consequently built on top of the old Side. Finding the ancient remains among today’s houses, gardens, and alleys takes some detective work. On the other hand, a large part of the antique city is still buried under drift sand, especially in the northeastern corner, where the Roman city walls literally disappear in the dunes.

A parking lot has been built at the city entrance, and I’m glad I can leave my car there and don’t have to figure out the narrow street pattern. I am lucky to enter the city exactly where I wanted, meaning through the Hellenistic Gate (Megale Pyle) from the 2nd century BC, with its two round towers, just like the ones in Perge, but in much poorer condition. If I had not seen the Hellenistic Gate in Perge, I would have missed this one entirely, and it would have been complicated to imagine what the towers looked like.

The shocking picture here is the newly asphalted road, a coat smeared over and on top of the old Roman pavement – a barbarian crime, nothing less!

Behind me rise the impressive remains that belong to a large Nymphaeum, another mental link for me, this time with Sagalassos. I didn’t expect to find a fountain of this size in Side. The explanation panel is set up in Turkish, English, and German, with a drawing of the fountain’s reconstruction. This Nymphaeum dates from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, just like most of the ruins around here – i.e., the heydays of the Roman Empire.

The antique and now asphalted colonnaded street runs past elegant remains of a covered sidewalk with shops behind them. I can walk freely among these remains, which adds to the charm. I climb to the top of one of the sand dunes, hoping to spot the sea, and I do. In fact, my view reaches as far as Alanya to the east, while in the north, I’m stopped by the peninsula of Side. Inviting dark blue water splashes against the rocks and sunken ruins, creating a screen of thousands of sunlit stars.

I move on and climb to the next dune top, and from here, I clearly see the large Theatre, but that is for later, as I’m close to the beach and decide to walk to the old port, which is now entirely sanded up. I pass impressive ruins with column stubs belonging to a Nymphaeum of which only the facade is still standing. The space in front was once occupied by the Agora, measuring nearly the standard 100 x 100 meters, but I miss the shops that usually surround it. Remains of columns and ceiling caissons lie everywhere, and I can’t help thinking that the sand surely will damage these carvings (a standard abrasive) – not the happiest way to preserve ancient stones.

The road now leads me to the center of today’s Selimiye, with a continuous row of restaurants and souvenir shops on either side. The merchants and waiters try all the tricks in the book to draw the attention of the tourists. Nothing has changed since antiquity.

At the end of the next side street, the white marble columns of the Temple of Apollo appear, the standard picture in every travel guide, which now becomes real. The effect of Carrara marble against the intense blue sky and sea is simply perfect. From between the arches of nearby Lima Basilica, I take my first pictures. At the same time, I marvel at the size of this Basilica from the 5th/6th century, which remained in use for many more centuries in a reduced size.

The longer I stare at those few slender columns of the Temple of Apollo, the more I see. The delicate, not entirely Corinthian capitals supporting a pediment decorated with numerous individual faces staring down at me. Somewhere between the broken marble on the floor, I find a piece of the pediment with one of those faces, finely decorated edges with lion heads; this temple must have been something extraordinary. Next to it, I should find its twin, a temple dedicated to Artemis, but I fail to see anything indicating the presence of a building. As always, the location has been chosen with perfection and is no less impressive than the location of Cape Sounion in Greece.

Back in the streets of Selimiye, I get terribly annoyed by the noise, the cars, and the tourists, but above all, by this idiotic asphalted street still lined with stubs of the original colonnade. I discovered the remains of the Roman Baths, the so-called Harbor Baths from the second century, but since modern houses have been built inside and against the old walls, it is difficult to get a clear overall picture. These baths must have been quite large, measuring 36 x 19 meters, but it is a pity to find them in such poor shape.

Finally, I arrive at the theater, which has been considerably propped up, and the many vaults are reinforced with iron beams. I wonder how safe it is to get inside. I always find a theater a fascinating place to visit, where the past remains so palpable simply because, over the centuries, thousands of people have walked through its open or vaulted corridors or chatted comfortably sitting on the stone benches. The entrance takes me immediately to the diazoma, the promenade halfway through the theater, right in the middle. It is said to be one of the largest theaters in Pamphylia and should hold approximately as many people as the one in Aspendos. This is hard to judge because the scene is poorly preserved, and almost nothing is left from the backstage wall (paraskenia), either. From the coolness of the vaults, I admire its location amidst the sand-covered remains behind which the entire coastline unfolds towards Alanya.

The sides and upper parts of the theater are off-limits because of the danger of collapse, but most of the “safe” parts have been well restored. Like the city, this is clearly Roman, although there was originally a Greek theater on this spot. Meanwhile, I have stepped all the way down, and when I look back over my shoulder, I’m surprised by the height. Of the people at the entrance to the diazoma, I only see their heads. This was the first time in my life that I felt dwarfed in a theater, overwhelmed by the entire construction. I walk to both extremities of the semi-circle while admiring the decorated remains on the podium. It is said that the scene was completely overgrown with trees and bushes when it was first discovered, tearing the construction apart. Comparing the pictures George Bean took in the 1960s (see: Turkey’s Southern Shore) with today’s appearance, it is evident that a lot of work has been done. After a while, I climb back to the diazoma to find that the stairs to the upper seats start in the vaulted corridor – there was no outside access in this theater.

Back outside on the main street, I automatically reach the small Temple of Dionysus attached to the remains of the Arch of Vespasian. The cars must drive underneath the Arch, taking turns since the opening is not wide enough to enable two vehicles to pass together. When in the 6th and 7th centuries, the population of Side had shrunk considerably, this Arch became a city gate in the newly built protection wall. In a way that is still visible today because, beyond this point, the modern restaurants and shops stop, giving way to the ruins of the antique stores with walls reaching approximately one or two meters high. One of these stores is quite unique because the owner's living quarters were located behind the up-front store, and in one of the rooms, I even discovered the original mosaic floor still in place.

To the right of the Triumphal Arch of Vespasian are the remains of a Nymphaeum, squeezed between the street and the space that belongs to the Archaeological Museum. This museum has been set up inside the well-preserved Roman Baths. It is one of those rare occasions where I can have a real feel of what such baths must have looked like in spite of the modern concrete roofing that seems to blend in elegantly. Entering through two arched doorways, I access the frigidarium, the coldest part of the baths; next is the sweating room, and finally, I reach the largest room, the caldarium or hot room, where pipes of the floor-heating system are still visible in places; the last two rooms were the tepidarium or washing rooms. The marble floors and the walls of the basins are in excellent condition, and the spare natural light sources add to the genuine feeling. Among the statues and other artifacts of the collection, I cannot find many striking pieces, except for an inscription in the language of Side, which I have never encountered before, and a Pamphylian sarcophagus from the 2nd century with high reliefs of dancing cupids under the sloping roof festooned with lion heads. The less important or broken pieces have found refuge in the adjacent garden, but are undoubtedly worth a visit; also, the workshop where a richly decorated sarcophagus is being painstakingly puzzled back together.

All in all, I spent three and a half hours walking around in Old Side, purposely ignoring the modern tourist traps - lovely!

[Click here to see all the pictures of Side]