PELLA SITE

The site is set in a beautiful setting of green hills in spring. Two hours are enough to walk around it. It is best to hire a guide to help you decipher the not always well-presented remains.

Before entering the site , coming from Al-Mashari'a, you will see the remains of a church, marked by three columns. It is thought to date from the^5th or early 6th century. It is one of the largest Byzantine churches found in the Near East, although not much remains today.

At the entrance, on the right, are the few remains of a Roman gate. A little further on, you will see the remains of an Umayyad village and a Mamluk mosque (14th century) (Arab occupation), as well as a Canaanite temple probably dating from the 13th century BC, carved into the hillside.

At the top of the terrace, a group of two-storey Byzantine-Umayyad houses was discovered during excavations. Their walls are made of mud-brick laid on stone foundations. The upper floor was reserved for living quarters, and the ground floor for animals. Skeletons of men and animals trapped during the 749 earthquake were found on site.

Center. Another Byzantine church from the^5th century was built here. Virtually nothing remains of the portico, but it is easily recognizable by its columns that rise to the sky. These columns supported a roof that covered a large room that served as an atrium. The building is located between the remains of a small odeon whose hemicycle seats can still be guessed and a Roman nymphaeum (further east).

To theeast, on the slopes of Jebel Abu al-Qas, stands the third Byzantine church of the same period. Few details remain, but it was connected to the Wadi Malawi by a beautiful staircase and had three naves. A fountain was fed by a huge cistern. On the other side of the Wadi stands Tell Husn, on top of which are the remains of a 6th century Byzantine fortress.

To the north, finally, was the necropolis. Numerous tombs from the Roman and Byzantine periods have been uncovered.

In the vicinity. Ask at the Visitor Centre for directions to a Greek temple built on the hill, from where a panoramic view of the Jordan Valley, and even Jerusalem on a clear day, awaits you. It's a 2-hour walk there and back. To get there by car, ask for the small road to Ajloun, which passes through some very pretty landscapes.