In the northwestern corner of Jordan, in the hills above the Jordan Valley, are the ruins of the Decapolis city of Gadara, now called Umm Qais. The site is striking because of its juxtaposition of Roman ruins with an abandoned Ottoman-era village, as well as its tremendous vantage point, with views of three countries (Jordan, Syria, and Israel and the Palestinian Territories), encompassing the Golan Heights, Mt Hermon and the Sea of Galilee.

According to the Bible, it was here that Jesus performed the miracle of the Gadarene swine: casting the demons out of two men into a herd of pigs.

Today Umm Qais is at the forefront of community-tourism development in Jordan, and it’s worth staying a night or two to enjoy an increasing array of options, from hiking and biking to beekeeping, foraging and cooking classes.

West Theatre
Entering Umm Qais from the south, the first structure of interest is the well-restored and brooding West Theatre. Constructed from black basalt, it once seated about 3000 people. This is a place to sing or declaim a soliloquy – the acoustics are fantastic.

Lookout Point
This viewpoint offers tremendous vistas over Israel and the Palestinian Territories across the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights.

Museum
Housed in Beit Russan, the former residence of an Ottoman governor, this modest museum is set around an elegant and tranquil courtyard of fig trees. The main mosaic on display (dating from the 4th century and found in one of the tombs) illustrates the names of early Christian notables. Another highlight is the headless white-marble statue of the Hellenic goddess Tyche, which was found sitting in the front row of the West Theatre.

Decumanus Maximus
Still paved to this day, the main road through the site once linked Gadara with other nearby ancient cities such as Abila and Pella. In its heyday, the road extended as far as the Mediterranean coast.

Ottoman Village
Surrounding the museum are the comprehensive ruins of an Ottoman village dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Two houses, Beit Malkawi (now used as an office for archaeological groups) and the nearby Beit Heshboni, are still intact. An Ottoman mosque and the remains of a girls’ school are also worth a cursory visit if you choose to amble around the derelict lanes. The village was inhabited until the 1980s when the residents were evicted to allow archaeological excavations at Gadara.

Baths
West along the decumanus Maximus is the overgrown public baths. Built-in the 4th century, this would once have been an impressive complex of fountains (like the nearby nymphaeum), statues and baths, though little remains today after various earthquakes.

Tomb of Modestus
The thick stone doors of this Roman tomb outside the main archaeological area still swing on ancient hinges. Nearby are the less notable tombs of Germani and Chaires.