“Stand on a marked spot in this 2,000-year-old theatre and speak softly, and your voice carries clearly to the very back row.”
About South Theatre
The South Theatre was built in the late 1st century AD, during the reign of Domitian, as Gerasa flourished, with funds raised partly from wealthy citizens whose names were inscribed on the seats. Its sophisticated design produced superb acoustics. Carefully restored, it survives as one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the region and is used for performances and festivals today.
The South Theatre is the largest and most impressive of the ancient theatres at Jerash, a grand Roman auditorium built into a hillside with seating for around three thousand spectators. Beautifully preserved, with its stage building and tiers of stone seats largely intact, it is renowned for acoustics so fine that a voice from the orchestra carries clearly to the highest rows.
The South Theatre is the largest and most impressive of the ancient theatres at Jerash, a grand Roman auditorium built into a hillside with seating for around three thousand spectators.
Acoustics That Still Astonish
Roman engineers designed the theatre so well that its acoustics remain remarkable nearly nineteen centuries later. Stand at a marked focal point on the orchestra floor and speak softly, and your voice resonates and projects to the whole auditorium. Some of the seats are even numbered in Greek, marking reserved places. Today the theatre often hosts Jordanian bagpipers, a curious legacy of the British era, whose music fills the ancient space.
The Experience
Heading up the steep tiers for views over the columns and ruins of Jerash, then test the famous acoustics from the orchestra floor, where a whisper carries to the top. The Greek seat numbers and the inscriptions reward a close look. Bagpipers in military dress frequently play here, their droning music echoing strangely and memorably through the ancient Roman stones.
Why It Matters
The South Theatre exemplifies the engineering genius and civic culture of Roman Gerasa, from its remarkable acoustics to its reserved, numbered seating. As one of the finest surviving Roman theatres, still alive with music and performance, it is a centrepiece of Jerash and a vivid link to ancient public entertainment.
The South Theatre exemplifies the engineering genius and civic culture of Roman Gerasa, from its remarkable acoustics to its reserved, numbered seating.
Why Visit
The grand, superbly preserved Roman theatre of Jerash, famous for its astonishing acoustics, numbered seats and the bagpipers who often play in it today.
✦ Insider Tips
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Test the acoustics from the marked spot on the orchestra floor.
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Look for the Greek numbers marking reserved seats.
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Bagpipers often perform in the theatre; a curious legacy.
