New archaeological site discovered in Irbid

AMMAN — The Preventive Security Department in Irbid has discovered an archaelogical site in the western part of the governorate, Department of Antiquities Director Munther Jamhawi said on Tuesday.

Jamhawi said the department’s initial analysis showed that the site, located in Irbid’s Wadi Al Rayan, is part of an ancient church that dates back to the Roman or Byzantine eras. 

He stated that the department’s teams were informed “immediately” and visited the site to start studying its elements and stone structure. 

The site has since been cordoned off by security personnel and will remain so until the mission concludes, he added. 

“Jordan has a rich history, we often find sites of historical importance that tell stories of ancient empires and eras that passed through Jordan. Our country is full of sites of the Classical Age — Greek, Roman, Byzantine,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Jordan is an “open museum”, he said, adding that, every time a site is discovered, the department takes care of it until it is ready to open its doors to the public. 

Previously this year, the department discovered a site in the northern city that appears to be a tomb from the Roman Empire, decorated with oil paintings and engravings. Officials announced that the site will be open in September. 

The department’s teams also discovered 19 Roman ruins in Beit Ras town in Irbid, 80km north of Amman, according to Irbid’s department director, Musa Malkawi, who said the ruins are from the Decapolis — a league of 10 ancient Greek cities in eastern Palestine that was formed after the Roman conquest of Palestine in 63 BC which also included Philadelphia (modern Amman) and Damascus, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica — similar to those present in Jerash and Umm Qais.