Jerash and the desert castles
An almost intact Roman city to the north, Umayyad pavilions with unexpected frescoes to the east: around Amman, two loops of history to unspool through the windscreen.
Suggested stay — 1 to 2 days from Amman
Fifty minutes north of Amman, Jerash lines up what Rome itself no longer shows in one piece: the Oval Plaza and its forest of Ionic columns, the flagstoned cardo grooved by chariot wheels, two theatres, the sanctuary of Artemis — all overlooked by Hadrian's Arch, raised for the emperor's visit in 129 AD. Allow three hours of wandering, early morning for the light and to beat the groups; at the South Theatre, the bagpipes of the Jordanian veteran on duty are part of the local folklore.
East of Amman, the desert castles loop (Routes 40 and 30, half a day) strings together the 8th-century Umayyad pavilions: Qusayr Amra, a small UNESCO-listed bathhouse whose frescoes — a zodiac, hunting scenes, bathers — upend everything you think you know about early Islamic art; Qasr Kharana, a perfect stone cube set on the gravel plain; and the basalt fort of Azraq, Lawrence of Arabia's headquarters during the Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Three sites, three moods, zero crowds.
Don't miss
- Jerash's Oval Plaza and cardo at opening, raking light on the columns
- The Umayyad frescoes of Qusayr Amra, unique in the world (UNESCO)
- Qasr Kharana, the desert's perfect cube, and the Azraq fort dear to Lawrence
- Amman's citadel and Roman theatre at day's end, on the way back
Our tips on the ground
- Do Jerash and the castles as two separate loops from Amman rather than one marathon day: north and east only combine by sacrificing the light of both.
- The three main castles share a single ticket covered by the Jordan Pass: keep some fuel and water in hand, stations are scarce on Route 40 beyond Azraq.
- At Jerash, enter right at opening (8 am): the groups land around 10 and the Oval Plaza then loses all its photographic magic.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Jordan on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Jerash and the desert castles
Is Jerash worth it if you've already seen Rome or Ephesus?
Yes, for one precise reason: unity. Jerash is not a monument inside a modern city but an entire ancient town, legible plan and flagstoned streets, where you walk for an hour without leaving the set. The crowds bear no comparison with Ephesus — and the ticket is included in the Jordan Pass.
Do the desert castles justify half a day of driving?
If the Qusayr Amra frescoes intrigue you, yes without hesitation: it is a unique document of the first Umayyad art, 90 minutes from Amman. If you lean landscapes over heritage, the half-day is better invested in Dana or the Rum: the castles are evocative but small, and the desert around them is flat gravel plain, not the southern spectacle.