Two thousand years ago, the great urban trading cities of the Middle East were born when Middle Eastern and Western societies came together in a tremendous synthesis of commerce, art, and culture. Their legacy shines today in the splendid cities of the Greco-Roman and Arab east, such as Petra, Jerash, Gadara, and Palmyra. The full power and glory of that ancient drama is revived in Jordan every summer in the form of the two-week-long Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts. This year's 19th annual Jerash Festival brings together over 35 different performers and troupes from Jordan, the Middle East and the world. 

The Jerash Festival usually takes place during end of July and beginning of August .It showcases a wide array of singers, musical and folklore troupes, poetry readings, symphony orchestras, ballet, Shakespearean theatre, handicrafts, and art shows. Among the highlights of the year 2000 festival are the Original Shakespeare Company of the U.K. performing Romeo and Juliet, the Modern Ballet Ensemble from Prague, the Ukrainian State Ballet performing Giselle, the Jordan National Music Conservatory orchestra, a Lebanese Muppets theatre, drum majorettes from South Africa, Circassian, Bedouin, and urban folk dance troupes from Jordan, Palestine, and Egypt, a chamber choir from Sweden, Spanish folk dancers, and many other acts. Special acts and exhibitions cater to children, making the festival an attractive destination for the entire family.

The colonnaded streets, plazas, and theatres of Jerash all provide unique venues for these acts, under the balmy summer skies of central Jordan. While performances take place in the different arenas, thousands of visitors also enjoy strolling through the ancient streets and monuments of the city, shopping for handicrafts, taking in art and book exhibitions, enjoying a casual meal, or simply absorbing the powerful drama of East and West meeting in a great cultural jamboree. Skilled craftsmen and women display Bedouin rugs, jewellery, embroidery, glass, wood, metal, and ceramic objects, and also demonstrate on the spot how they create their wares.

Inaugurated in 1981 by Queen Noor Al Hussein and now part of the Noor Al Hussein Foundation cultural programs, the festival has become the premiere showcase for Jordanian performing artists, and an exciting meeting place for artists and the public at large from the four corners of the world. The setting of the ancient Greco-Roman City provides an unforgettable backdrop to this cultural jamboree, with brilliant floodlights dramatically highlighting the colonnaded streets, public plazas, temple precincts, Byzantine churches, theatres, and other ancient monuments.

The Jerash Festival takes place during a traditionally quiet season for tourism in Jordan, making it easy to book hotel rooms and air travel at attractive prices. You can easily spend a week taking in the many offerings at the festival, which all take place in the evening from 5-11 p.m., while enjoying Jordan's many other attractions during the daytime hours. For further information, contact the Jerash Festival office in Amman at tel. 962-6-5675199 or website http://www.jerashfs@go.com.jo