Ammon News - The number of visitors to the ancient city of Jerash from January through July 2026 reached 100,362, including 38,106 Jordanians and 62,256 foreign visitors, according to preliminary official figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

According to the figures, the number of visitors during the same period last year stood at 117,701, including 44,817 Jordanians and 72,884 foreign visitors.

Compared with the same period in 2025, the number of visitors declined by 14.7% in 2026.

A breakdown of the official figures shows that February 2026 recorded the highest number of visitors, with 27,279, while April 2025 saw the largest number of visitors, at 48,813.

According to the Jordan Tourism Board’s website, Jerash is home to the Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts, which was established in 1981. The long-standing tradition continues to feature a diverse range of local, regional and international cultural activities and performances staged at the ancient city’s theaters and attended by visitors from around the world.

According to the Board, Jerash was known as Gerasa (Γερασα) during the early Greek periods, a rendering of its Semitic name, Jerasha. It was later known as Antioch on the Golden River (Ἀντιοχέων πρός τῷ τῶν Χρυσορόᾳ), referring to the stream that runs through the city. It was named Antioch after Antiochus, one of the Seleucid kings, and the name remained in use until the early Roman period. The ancient name Gerasa was subsequently revived following Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Jerash in 129 AD. During the same period, the Nabataeans referred to Jerash as Jarshu, with the name ending in the letter waw, one of the markers of the nominative case in Arabic.