Possibly the most historically significant site in the whole country, Pella reveals evidence of continuous human settlement for 6000 years – from the Stone Age to Medieval Islamic times.
Legend has is that the ancient city was named Pella in honour of Alexander the Great during his conquest of the area, and was one of the famed 10 cities of the Roman Decapolis – the ten cities in the fertile crescent that belonged to the Romans and the Greeks in an otherwise Semitically controlled region.
The site has not yet been fully excavated and the ruins that are currently visible are spread out across the area so visitors may need to walk between the locations, however Pella’s location in the beautiful Jordan Valley makes it a stunning place for walks, hikes and picnics, especially in the spring when the landscape erupts in multi-coloured blossom. The ruins that have already been excavated include a court with Greek pillars, the outline of a theatre, and a temple.
Pella is located in the far north of Jordan, 130km from Amman in the Irbid region. A visit to Pella can be easily combined with a visit to the famous site of Umm Qais – another of the fabled Decapolis 10.
