A visit to the spectacular Roman ruins of Jerash immediately transports the visitor two thousand years back in time. The city's many splendid monuments still retain the atmosphere of the once thriving metropolis, famous in its own time for magnificent temples, amphitheatres, and plazas. From the buildings and the many other well-preserved structures, it is easy to imagine the city in its heyday: Chariots would have trundled down the colonnaded streets, their wheels etching ever deeper the already well worn grooves and the little shops that line the streets would have stocked exotic goods brought in from Persia, and Egypt.

In the days of Alexander the Great (332 BC), the city grew increasingly prosperous and important until, in 63 BC, the Roman emperor Pompey conquered the region. The ancient Arabic name of Garshu was changed to Gerasa, and Jerash became part of the Roman Empire and soon after, a member of the Decapolis.