temple of zeus, jerash, jordan

Roman name:Jupiter.The king of Gods.Ruler of Mount Olympus One of the twelve Olympians and the most

important god of olympians.He was the god of thunder and sky, he

controlled the weather. He used to carry a lightning bolt that he

would use when angered.

ZEUS

Zeus played a dominant

role, presiding over the

Greek Olympian pantheon. He was the

embodiment of Greek

religious beliefs.

ZEUS

Dedicated to Zeus.Located at the summit of the hill .Over-looking the oval plaza. Drainage channels flowed into the main

sewage system under the pavement of the plaza.

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

Plaza connects the courtyard in front of the temple to the Cardo.

The Cardo is the main axis that connects and brings together all the features of the city.

90 meters in length (North-South) 80 meters in width (East-West)Colonadded.Paved with stone blocks.

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

CARDO

From the plaza, a staircase leads up to the Temenos (Sacred precint).

The Temenos is the largest part of the Temple.

Measuring about 50 by 100 meters, It has the remains of an early sanctuary. which was considered the most sacred

part of the building.

Temple of zeus

TEM

EN

OS

• Another staircase leads up to second terrace and finally to the temple which was surrounded by 15 meters high, Octastyle Corinthian columns

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

Originally, a rock in the temenos served as a high place and was enclosed into a shrine in 100-80 B.C.

The shrine was modified in 69 A.D and also in the 2nd century, probably by Emperor Hadrian.(when he visited the city in 129 A.D.)

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

SH

RIN

E

In the 4TH century BC, during the Hellenistic era, Jerash became a member of the Decapolis.

It was then known as Gerasa. Recent excavations show that Jerash was already

inhabited during the Bronze age (3200-1200 BC)After the Roman conquest in 63 BC, the city was

altered through the creation of an urban grid with colonnaded and paved streets.

Significant monuments in the city, including immense temples, theaters, and public spaces, the most prominent The Temple of Zeus.

HISTORY OF THE JERASH

The temple stands on ruins of another roman temple.

The temple was approached from the cardo by a great flight of stairs supported on vaults, many of which still remain.

Only the high priests were allowed there.The people considered ordinary (lower on

the hierarchy) used to gather in the courtyard for various events

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

Construction dates back to the year 100-80 BC.Modified in 22- 23.A.DConstruction in 69- 70, aided by gifts from

wealthy citizens.Theon gave 7100 Tyrian Drachmas (Greek

currency at that time) for the building of Zeus’ temple.

The temple was wholly covered with Octasyle Corinthian columns.

The temple was entirely built out of rock, because of its availability in the area.

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

Excavations on the east slope on the upper temple complex showed that:

The rocky slope was roughly terraced, but it is not clear whether the rocks were terraced specifically for the installation of the grand staircase which led to the Upper Zeus Temple precinct.

The terracing exposed small natural cavities in the rock, which show traces of their surfaces having been trimmed.

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

TEMPLE OF ZEUS

The strong earthquake in 749A,D destroyed large parts of the city

Wars and disorder contributed to additional destruction.

Its ruins remained buried in the soil for hundred of years

they were discovered by German orientalist named ULRICH JASPER SEETZEN in1806.

Destructionof TEMPLE

In 1917 Ottoman rule ended when British troops seized control of the area.

In 1923.Department of Ancient Antiquities was established.

Its offices were initially located at Jerash, due to its abundance of archeological remains.

British began the first significant excavation and conservation work in 1925

RECONSTRUCTION OF TEMPLE

Archaeological work focused primarily on: Uncovering, studying, and presenting

roads and architectural remains. The clearing of the path of Cardo and the

Oval Plaza adjacent to temple.These efforts revealed the ancient city’s

Roman grid plan and started to restore some of the magnificence of the monuments.

RECONSTRUCTION OF TEMPLE

RECONSTRUCTIONOther work during 1925–31 included:Restoration at the South TheaterRepairs at the North Theater A vault in the court of the temple of ZEUS Excavations carried out at the sanctuaries of

Zeus.In the early 1950s, work at the site began to

focus on restoration and reconstruction to attract more visitors and on using the site for cultural activities.

• Establishment of the Jerash Festival of Drama and Music 1960.

• In 1962 and 1963, the Royal Engineering Forces reconstructed the columns along the Cardo.

• archaeological and restoration works at the temple of Zeus in 1977.

reconstruction

Construction by The Jordanian Army’s ROYAL ENGINEERING FORCES.

• Archeological and restoration work by French by:

• Restoring parts of the Roman remains.

RECONSTRUCTION

• Establishment of a museum which is located in the vault below the Temple of Zeus.

There’s also a museum, Jerash Archeological Museum, located away from the monuments

PRESENT DAY

• Enough of this once beautiful temple remains today despite erosion and numerous earthquakes. Many of the pillars still remain, some of them, have been conserved and kept in the museum. The temple currently serves as a tourist attraction.

View from the Oval Plaza

100-80 BC-TEMPLE OF ZEUS 64 BC-The romans capture Syria and create

a new province which include all of the Decapolis cities.

129 A.D-Roman emperor HADRIAN visits Gerasa.

749 A.D-A series of earthquakes gravely damages the city.

1122 A.D-Christian king Baldwin III further destroys the remains of Gerasa.

TIME LINE

1247 A.D-A significant earthquake further damages the architectural ruins.

1806 AD-German orientalist Ulrich Jasper Seetzen visit Jerash.

1939 A.D-Government of Jordan registered the area of Jerash as an archaeological site.

1960 A.D-Royal Engineering Forces begin reconstruction.

1981 A.D-The French archaeologists begin excavation and restoration.

TIME LINE

Temple of Artemis: Dedicated to Artemis (Daughter of Zeus).

Hadrian’s Arch: Constructed to honor the visit of Emperor Hadrian.

North Theater: Built to serve either as a small theatre or as a meeting place for the city.

South Theater: same purposes as the north theater. south theater has a capacity of 3,000 audience and is built in way that the sun doesn’t shine directly in the eyes of the seated audience.

MONUMENTS BESIDESTHE TEMPLE

Temple of Artemis

Hadrian’s Arch

North Theater

• In Architecture, a cupola is a small, most often dome-like, structure on top of a building. It is usually used to provide a lookout.

• A rounded dome forming or adorning a roof or ceiling.

• A gun turret.

CUPOLA

• A portal is an opening in a wall of a building, gate or fortification.

• A grand entrance to an important structure. Doors, metal gates or portcullis in the opening can be used to control entry or exit.

• The surface surrounding the opening may be made of simple building materials or decorated with ornamentation.

PORTAL

• The elements of a portal can include the voussoir, tympanum, an ornamented mullion between doors and columns.

PORTAL

A structure consisting of a roof supported by columns at regular intervals, typically attached as a porch to a building.

PORTICO

TRACERY• An ornamental stone openwork, typically in

the upper part of a Gothic window • A pattern of curving lines in the stone above a

church window

An ornamental stone openwork, typically in the upper part of a Gothic window

A pattern of curving lines in the stone above a church window

A projection jutting out from a wall to support a structure above it.

CARBEL

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