From the ancient Roman city of Gadara.Today, I stood in one place and saw four different countries at the same time.

We travelled to the far north of Jordan to Gadara, now known as Umm Qais. Situated in the highlands, it provides spectacular views of Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan. Can you think of any other places in the world you might be able to see three, four, or even five different countries at the same time? How about U.S. states?

Archaeologists are still working to uncover the area, which means its history is still unfolding. And, Umm Qais doesn’t receive as many tourists as Petra or other ancient Jordanian cities, we had the entire city to ourselves. As we made our way down Umm Qais’s colonnaded street, we saw some long grooves carved into the ancient roadway. They were chariot tracks! These small details serve as a reminder of how many people, over time, have travelled this same road.

Two other highlights at Umm Qais are the ancient baths and tombs. Both sites required the team to get a little rugged! We had to scramble down some steep terrain and trust our guide to help us through some very dark passageways.

My favorite part of Umm Qais was the Ottoman-era village. Some of the building and structures in this village where constructed using the materials from the ancient ruins of Gadara. How’ that for recycling?

For me, it was interesting to think about how architecture can narrate the history of a city.

Next: more of the Roman Era.

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