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Umm Qais

Coordinates:32°39′15″N35°41′15″E/ 32.65417°N 35.68750°E/32.65417; 35.68750
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Umm Qais
أم قيس
Gadara
Town
Umm Qais from north
Umm Qais from north
Umm Qais is located in Jordan
Umm Qais
Umm Qais
Location in Jordan
Coordinates:32°39′15″N35°41′15″E/ 32.65417°N 35.68750°E/32.65417; 35.68750
Grid position213/228
CountryJordan
GovernorateIrbid
DepartmentBani Kinanah
Elevation
1,240 ft (378 m)
Time zoneUTC+2(UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)UTC+3(UTC+3)
Area code+(962)2

Umm Qais(Arabic:أم قيس,lit. 'Mother of Qais'), also known asQays,is a town in northernJordanprincipally known for its proximity to the ruins of the ancientGadara.It is the largest city in theBani Kinanah DepartmentandIrbid Governoratein the extreme northwest of the country, near Jordan's borders withIsraelandSyria.Today, the site is divided into three main areas: the archaeological site (Gadara), the traditional village (Umm Qais), and the modern town of Umm Qais.[1]

Location

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Umm Qais is located 28 km north ofIrbidand 120 km north ofAmman.It expanded from the ruins of ancient Gadara, which are located on a ridge 378 metres (1,240 ft) above sea level, overlooking theSea of Tiberias,theGolan Heights,and theYarmouk Rivergorge. Strategically central and located close to multiple water sources, Umm Qais has historically attracted a high level of interest.

History

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Church terrace at ancient Gadara

Antiquity

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Main article:Gadara

Gadara was a centre ofGreekculture in the region during theHellenisticandRomanperiods.[2]

The oldest archaeological evidence at Umm Qais, extends back to the second half of the third century BC.[3]and the site appears to have been founded as a military colony by Alexander the Great's Macedonian Greeks. However, the site's name "Gadara" is not Greek in origin, but rather a Greek version of a local Semitic name meaning "fortifications" or "the fortified city" suggesting the military colony was founded on a pre-existing fortified site.[4]

Located on the boundary between Seleucid and Ptolemaic territory, the city was strategically important and was repeatedly the focus of military conquests throughout the succession ofSyrian Warsbetween 274–188 BCE. The city's military importance during this period was noted by the Greek historianPolybius' describing it in 218 BCE as a fortress and "the strongest of all places in the region".

TheRoman-Seleucid War(192–188 BCE) weakened Seleucid control over the region devolving autonomy in Palestine and trans-Jordan to theHasmonean,ItureanandNabateankingdoms whose rivalries continued to make Gadara a strategically important city and the focus of continued conflict.

In 98 BCE the Hasmonean KingAlexander Jannaeussubjected the city to a 10 month siege, wresting control of the city and the trade routes to the ports of the Eastern Mediterranean that passed through it from the Nabateans.[5][6]The Nabatean response culminated in Nabatean King Obdas 1st' decisive victory over Jannaeus at theBattle of Gadarain 93 BCE.

In 63BCE,Roman generalPompeyconquered the region, Gadara was rebuilt and became a member of the semi-autonomous RomanDecapolis.[7][8]33 years laterAugustusattached it to the Jewish kingdom of his ally,Herod.After King Herod's death in 4 BCE, Gadara became part of the Roman province ofSyria.[9]

To supply larger populations Gadara, and the neighbouringDecapoliscities ofAdraa(Dera'a, Syria) andAbila(Qweilbeh, Jordan) undertook construction of a water supply system of 170 km of aqueduct tunnels connecting the cities to springs throughout southern Syria and an artificially constructed lake at Dille. Constructed between 90–210 CE the network of rock cut tunnels included 2,900 access shafts, and a single 106 km section represents one of the most significant hydro-engineering accomplishments of the ancient world. During theSeveranperiod (193–235 CE) the city underwent a rapid expansion westwards and many of the large civic monuments still visible on the site today date to this period and attest to an increase in importance and prosperity. After the Christianisation of theEastern Roman Empire,Gadara retained its important regional status and became for many years the seat of a Christianbishop.[10]

Early Islamic period

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TheBattle of Yarmoukin 636 CE a short distance from Gadara, brought the entire region under Arab-Muslim rule.

On 18 January 749 CE much of the city was destroyed by theGalilee earthquake.Whilst the city was extensively damaged, archaeological evidence of limited reconstruction, including conversion of the large five aisle basilica church into a mosque indicates the continued settlement of the site at least into the 11th Century.

By the 13th Century the site is noted in historic sources under the new name of "Mukais" a local term meaning border place or customs house and from which the modern name of Umm Qais gradual derived.

Ottoman period

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In 1596 it appeared in theOttomantax registersnamed asMkeis,situated in thenahiya(subdistrict) of Bani Kinana, part of theHauran Sanjak.It had 21 households and 15 bachelors; allMuslim,in addition to 3Christianhouseholds. The villagers paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on agricultural products; including wheat, barley, summer crops, fruit trees, goats and bee-hives. The total tax was 8,500akçe.[11]

In 1806Ulrich Jasper Seetzenvisited Umm Qais and identified it as the location of ancient Gadara, describing the Ottoman settlement and the tombs and other monuments still visible on the surface. The ancient ruins atUm Keiswere recorded again by western visitors in 1816 and 1838.[12]By 1899 Schumacher, visiting the site as part of his survey work for theHijaz railwayrecords the village had expanded significantly with the construction of larger houses, noting also that many of the tombs recorded by early visitors were no longer present. Umm Qais's most impressive building, the Ottoman governor's residence known as Beit Rousan, "Rousan House", dates to this period of expansion in the LateOttomanperiod.

Modern period

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In 1920 the Madafa andHosh(courtyard) of Hajj Mahmoud al Rousan's house in Umm Qais hosted a conference of Arab leaders from across the middle east to draw up a treaty in response to the British and French plan to divide the region following the end of the British and French Mandates.

The village's school was opened in 1922 by HRH KingAbdullah I of Jordanmaking it the third oldest school in Jordan after those inSaltandKerak.

By 1961 the population of Umm Qais was 1,196 inhabitants.[13]

During the 1967Arab-Israeli warUmm Qais' strategic location put it on the front line of conflict again. Heavy shelling from the Golan Heights and aircraft bombing damaged both the village and the ancient city. The underground Roman mausoleum below the five-aisled basilica in the west of the ancient was discovered by accident by the Jordanian army and the large intact underground chamber was used as a temporary field hospital during the conflict.

Preservation efforts

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In 1974 the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology uncovered the ruins of a Byzantine church building in Umm Qais.[14]

Since 2005, the Orient Department of theGerman Archaeological Instituteunder the direction of Claudia Bührig has been active at Gadara. The team has uncovered Egyptian and Greek imported pottery, stampedamphorae,and a Seleucid fortress, among other things.[15]

In 2015, theAmbassadors Fund for Cultural PreservationandYarmouk Universitycollaborated to better preserve the Roman Aqueduct of Gadara in Umm Qais. This project was completed in 2018, strengthening the largest remaining subterranean Roman aqueduct.[16]

Tourism

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Beit Rousan

Many visitors come to Umm Qais on day trips from the capital, Amman, roughly 110 kilometres (68 mi) to the north, to see its extensive ruins and enjoy its panoramic views. TheSea of GalileeandTiberias,Israel,are visible, and just across the valley of theYarmouk Riveris the southern end of theGolan Heights,Syria,[17]under Israeli occupation since theSix-Day Warin 1967.Mount HermonborderingLebanonis visible in the distance on clear days.

AtBeit Rousan,now housing a visitor Centre and a museum,Greekstatues and Christian mosaics discovered during archaeological excavations of ancient Gadara are exhibited.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^Alawneh, Firas (Dec 21, 2018). "INVESTIGATIONS OF HELLENISTIC MORTAR FROM UMM QAIS (GADARA), JORDAN".Arqueología Iberoamericana.40.
  2. ^Rocca, Samuel (2008),Herod's Judea: A Mediterranean State in the Classic World,Eugene: Mohr Siebeck, p.200,ISBN978-1-4982-2454-3
  3. ^Alawneh, Firas (Dec 21, 2018). "INVESTIGATIONS OF HELLENISTIC MORTAR FROM UMM QAIS (GADARA), JORDAN".Arqueología Iberoamericana.40.
  4. ^Shatzman, Israel.The Armies of the Hasmonaeans and Herod: From Hellenistic to Roman Frameworks.
  5. ^Israel Shatzman,The Armies of the Hasmonaeans and Herod: From Hellenistic to Roman Frameworks,p. 74.
  6. ^Piotrkowski, Meron M. (2011). "When Did Alexander Yannai Capture Which Gadara?".Jewish Studies Quarterly.18(3). Mohr Siebeck GmbH & Co. KG: 266–276.doi:10.1628/094457011797248453.JSTOR41289144.
  7. ^Fitzgerald, John Thomas; Obbink, Dirk D.; Holland, Glenn Stanfield (2004).Philodemus and the New Testament world [electronic resource].BRILL. pp. 365–366.ISBN9789004114609.
  8. ^Mare, W. Harold (2000),"Decapolis",Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible,Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, pp.333–334,ISBN0-8028-2400-5.
  9. ^JosephusAntiquities,XVII, xi, 4; Josephus,Bellum Judaicum,II, vi, 3.
  10. ^Reland,Palestine, 776.
  11. ^Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 202
  12. ^Smith,in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p.163
  13. ^Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p.19
  14. ^Almasri, Eyad (December 1, 2017)."An enthroned Tyche statue from Gadara / Umm Qais, Jordan"(PDF).Acta Historiae Artium.58(1): 5–20.doi:10.1556/170.2017.58.1.1.S2CID194802058.
  15. ^Rawashdeh, Saeb (8 August 2019)."German research continues in ancient city of Gadara".The Jordan Times.
  16. ^"Umm Qais aqueduct opens as preservation project concludes".The Jordan Times.18 December 2018.
  17. ^For example:*UN Resolution 242Archived2009-11-27 at theWayback Machine,*Text of Resolution at UN.orgArchived2011-01-12 at theWayback Machine(PDF), *"CRS Issue Brief for Congress: Israeli-United States Relations"(PDF).Congressional Research Service. April 5, 2002.Retrieved2009-06-23.,*"Presidency Statement on Golan Heights".April 1, 2004. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-01-22.Retrieved2009-06-23.,*"Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories".UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 11 June 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 20 July 2009.Retrieved2009-06-23.,*"The Arab Peace Initiative, 2002".Al-Bab. 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 4 June 2009.Retrieved23 June2009.

Bibliography

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