Dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of hunting and fertility and the daughter of Zeus and Leto, this temple at Jerash was built between AD 150 and 170, and flanked by 12 elaborately carved Corinthian columns (11 still stand). The construction is particularly impressive given that large vaults, housing temple treasure, had to be built to the north and south to make the courtyard level. The whole of the building was once clad in marble and prized statues of Artemis would have adorned the niches.
If you’re lucky enough to visit on a partially cloudy day, you’re in for a treat as the sandstone pillars of the temple light up like bars of liquid gold each time the sun comes out of the clouds. It’s a magical sight, and magic, or a sense of the world beyond, was exactly what the architects of this gem of a building would have been trying to capture in the temple design.
Alas, the edict of Theodorius in AD 386, permitting the dismantling of pagan temples, led to the demise of this once-grand edifice as the temple was picked apart for materials to construct new churches. The Byzantines further disgraced the site by converting it to a mere artisan workshop for kitchenware and crockery. In the 12th century the structure was temporarily brought back to life as an Arab fortification, only to be destroyed by the invading Crusaders.
If your energy is starting to flag, this is a good place to turn back. You can descend through the propylaeum , built in 150 AD as the monumental gateway to the Temple of Artemis, and originally flanked by shops. If you want to get a sense of the complete extent of Jerash, head towards the North Gate and be rewarded by one or two extra surprises.
