Umm al-Jimal
Umm al-Jimal ( Arabic أم الجمال, "Mother of the Camels"; for other transcriptions Umm el-Jimal, Umm ej Jemal, Umm al-Jimal or Umm idj-Djimal) is a settlement in the northern Jordan . It is best known for the exceptionally well-preserved remains of a Byzantine and early Islamic city, which have been on the tentative list for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage since 2018 . The ruins of around 150 buildings, mostly from Byzantine times, are still clearly visible today. To the southeast of the Byzantine ruins are the remains of a Roman settlement with the local name al-Herri.
location
Umm al-Jimal is located around 17 kilometers east of today's city of Mafraq, around 10 kilometers south of the border with Syria at an altitude of 675 m. The surrounding area is the so-called Hauran , an area formed by volcanic activity. Characteristic for this is the black basalt , from which Umm al-Jimal was built. Due to the lack of construction timber, ceilings, stairs, balconies etc. also consist of basalt blocks that protrude from the masonry and are often only held horizontally by the weight on one side (see photo with the double window). The dense basalt rock is a good insulator against the prevailing high outside temperatures. The city forms a rectangle of about 400 by 800 meters and lies at the confluence of two wadis , which at the time of the snowmelt on the Jabal al Arab carry water that was stored in reservoirs in ancient times. The annual rainfall is only around 150 millimeters, but despite its dryness, the area can be used for agriculture and animal husbandry. This has resulted in continuous settlement since prehistoric times. During Roman antiquity, the city was near the Via Nova Traiana , which led from Philadelphia, today's Amman, to today's Syria.
history
Little is known about the prehistoric developments around the later Umm al-Jimal. There are traces of short-term settlements or camp sites of (semi) nomadic tribes, in some cases the processing of chert has been proven. In the nearby wadis there are traces of large-scale animal traps in which entire herds could be cornered.
Nabataeans and Romans
In the first century AD Umm al-Jimal emerged as a suburb of the Nabatean capital, Bostra, used for agriculture and trade . This is evidenced by some inscriptions in ancient Greek and Nabatean languages, often on tombstones. This shows that at least two of the residents of Umm al-Jimal served on the Bostra city council. The population at this time is estimated at 2000 to 3000 people. In the western part of the city an altar was found for the main Nabataean god Dushara , other traditional gods also have regional references: a Zeus Epikoos and the deity Solmos, known only in a single inscription, are handed down.
With the takeover of the Nabatean Empire by Emperor Trajan in AD 106 and the associated establishment of the province of Arabia Petraea , the settlement was expanded. Under the Roman administration, a number of public facilities were built, including the so-called Praetorium (a representative building that presumably served the administration) and a large water reservoir. From the year 267 AD the area became part of the Palmyrenian Empire under the leadership of Zenobia . This had split off from the crisis-ridden Roman Empire. After Emperor Aurelian regained control of the area in AD 272, the Romans established a military base in Umm al Jimal, the so-called tetrarchic fort. In the first two centuries of their rule, the Romans were still very liberal towards the local cults, but after the defeat of the Palmyrenean Empire, efforts were made to push them back. When the Roman Empire became increasingly difficult in the course of the fourth and fifth centuries, the importance of Umm el-Jimal as a military base dwindled again in favor of an agrarian settlement.
Byzantines
In the fifth and sixth centuries the city flourished as a center of agriculture and trade. The population peaked at an estimated 4,000 to 6,000. The Roman administration was gradually replaced by the Byzantine one. Under a Dux named Pelagius, a small military base (today's so-called barracks ) was built again. Almost all of the 150 or so buildings still visible today date from this heyday. The city's prosperity during this period is also evident from the fact that at least 15 early Christian churches were built during the sixth century . Religious symbols can be found on many of the city's buildings, the aforementioned military base has been converted into a monastery - a chapel and towers have been added, the names of the archangels engraved on the latter. This phase of prosperity experienced a break in the seventh century when the area fell to the Umayyads in the course of Islamic expansion .
Umayyads
Islamic rule over Umm al-Jimal began in 640 when the Rashiduns were able to bring this area into their sphere of influence. Many of the buildings in the city experienced a new use, for example the praetorium was converted into a residential building. Stables were already housed in some of the buildings in Byzantine times, and the number of these had increased under the Umayyads. The existing buildings were maintained and even some new buildings were built, but the population gradually decreased. A major factor in the end of settlement, however, was a severe earthquake that devastated large parts of the area in 749. The city was finally uninhabited around the year 900, and the settlement that exists today did not develop until the twentieth century. Up to this time around 900 Umm el-Djimal seems to have been inhabited by Muslims and Christians alike, the latter being protected by the command of the dhimma . At least two of the houses were converted into mosques including minarets, and this may also affect some of the churches. In these, the apse was bricked up and the architectural focus shifted to the south towards Mecca .
Research history
Umm el-Jimal was rediscovered in the 19th century after Europe had begun to show an increasing interest in the Orient. William John Bankes wrote a first brief description in 1818. Subsequently, numerous European and American scholars visited the ruins, but each provided only very brief, incoherent reports. The first systematic investigations took place in 1905 and 1909 as part of an expedition from Princeton University under the direction of Howard Crosby Butler. As a result of this research, international interest in the ruins continued to grow. The most important contribution to the research of Umm el-Djimal was made by Bert de Vries of the American Calvin College, who carried out excavations and archaeological surveys from 1972 to 1998 . Since the turn of the millennium, the focus of researchers has tended to be on preserving the buildings and making them accessible to the public.
In 2014, grave robbers wreaked havoc after rumors of gold to be found spread. Criminals plundered numerous graves, with ceramics, glass objects, lamps, reliefs, etc. being taken and presumably sold on the international art market.
Web links
- Official website of the archaeological site
- Application for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage
- World Heritage in Jordan
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6335
- ↑ Benjamin Hoksbergen: The Oldest Components: The Paleolithic at Umm el-Jimal. In: Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 54, 2010, pp. 207-217
- ↑ a b c d Bert de Vries et al .: Umm el-Jimal: A Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic Town in Northern Jordan (= Journal of Roman Archeology Suppl. Vol. 1, 1998)
- ↑ a b c d Bert de Vries: Between the Cults of Syria and Arabia: Traces of Pagan Religion at Umm el-Jimal. In: Studies in the History and Archeology of Jordan 10, 2009, pp. 177-192.
- ^ Bert de Vries: The Umm el-Jimal Project, 1993 and 1994 Field Seasons. In: Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan 39, 1995, pp. 421-435.
- ^ William Booth and Taylor Luck: Looters raid Jordanian crypts in search of gold, jewels and artifacts . In: Washington Post , October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
Coordinates: 32 ° 20 ' N , 36 ° 22' E