Occasionally, during the summer months, there is an hour-long sound and light show among the ruins, with special JETT buses running to and from the show. Check with the JETT office in Amman (tel. 66 41 46) for details. Jerash is undergoing eternal restoration, as the government attempts to raise the city’s profile. The Jerash Festival, which has been running since 1981, takes place every summer in July or August and is under royal patronage. Check with the Jerash Festival office in Amman for details (tel. 67 51 99) or see The Jordan Times for complete coverage. The South Theater and Artemis Steps provide a dramatic setting for musical, theatrical, and dance groups from all over the world, and recently featured Andrew Lloyd Webber’s breathtakingly mediocre composition, Starlight Express.

Shows range from the Gary Burton Quintet to Radio Jordan Orchestra to the Azerbaijan State Ballet to modern interpretations of The Taming of the Shrew. Shows begin at 7:30pm and 9:30pm each evening except Fridays. Tickets to the different events vary in cost, but admission to the grounds is free. You will be searched upon entry, and may be required to hire a guide if you arrive during the day. An international telephone exchange, set up in the grounds, charges average fees.

Transport to and from Jerash during the festival is chaotic. Do not expect to hitch unless you are leaving town before 4pm. Service are also crowded. Coming home at about 10pm is less of a problem, though most cars are still full and thus will not stop for hitchers.