On a wintry afternoon, the basalt theatre in the Greco-Roman city of Gadara in northern Jordan can appear forbiddingly bleak.
Its builders, however, knew how to break the drabness.
“Like this,” says architect Boris Bogdanovic as he picks up two fragments of white marble from the ground and juxtaposes them on the edge of the stage.
The marble cornice that adorned the edges of the 3,000-capacity venue has all broken off or been stolen. It could have come from present day Greece, or Italy, Mr Bogdanovic says.
The theatre resembles a larger one in Bosra, another basalt city 95 kilometres to the east, in present day Syria. The city, which was Nabatean, fell to Roman suzerainty in the second century.
While Bosra, regarded as one the greatest sites of antiquity in the Levant, is practically off limits to most tourists because of the upheaval in Syria, a visit to Gadara could compensate for what they cannot see across the border.
Both cities were situated on trading routes – to the Mediterranean in the case of Gadara and to the Red Sea in regard to Bosra, which was the larger commercial centre.
Bosra even featured in the life of the Prophet Mohammed, who accompanied caravans from inner Arabia to the city when he was young.
Gadara had an estimated population of 30,000 people, less than half that of Bosra.
The two cities received water through advanced aqueducts. They flourished under the emperors Trojan and Hadrian, renowned builders in Imperial Rome.
The ruins of Gadara and Bosra are fairly typical of Roman cities: theatre, baths, colonnaded streets, cisterns and a large public fountain, as well as shops and houses. But they are unusual in that they are largely black or dark grey.
Gadara's infrastructure remains are also impressive: one cistern in the city is 10 metres deep by 11 metres wide. A gravity-based water system that supplied the city stretched 170 kilometres into the Syrian interior. It was largely comprised of tunnels, parts of which survive. They were among the longest built in the ancient world.
From almost anywhere in Gadara there is a view of the Sea of Galilee in present day Israel; the Golan Heights, which Israel has occupied since 1967; and the valley of the Yarmouk, a main tributary of the Jordan river.
Bosra became capital of the Roman province of Arabia Petraea (Stony Arabia), although it is situated on the edge of the Great Syrian Desert.
Gadara was capital of the Decapolis, a league of 10 Greek cities in the Levant, of which Bosra was not a member. The Decapolis allied with Rome and was bound by security and commercial interests. Menippus, a satirist and a disciple of the Cynic philosopher Diogenes, was born in Gadara.
A few kilometres away is the site of the 636 AD Battle of Yarmouk , one of the most significant, and by some accounts, one of the bloodiest, military encounters before the invention of modern weapons. The defeat of the Byzantines by the Rashidyn dynasty marked a significant expansion of Islam and the end of Byzantine rule over Syria.
Mr Bogdanovic says the Gadara theatre bears uncanny resemblance to the one in Bosra, and both could have been built by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus. But he cautions that this is only a hypothesis that needs more research.
He supervises restoration work at the theatre and in a 19th-century village on the edge of Gadara, on behalf of Turquoise Mountain, a charity founded by Prince Charles.
A New Zealander born in the Balkans, Mr Bogdanovic says Gadara's natural location enhanced its defences.
He also describes it as "a very healthy place", citing the ancient Romans' affinity for holidaying in Gadara and enjoying the city's sights, baths, wine, theatre and a diverse plant cover.
"Gadara was a more poetic place," he says.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
