Built into the hillside behind the Sanctuary of Zeus, the South Theatre is Gerasa’s oldest and largest theatre. Completed around AD 90–92, it seated more than 3,000 people for performances, speeches and festivals — and after its restoration in the 1950s it is once again a working venue, with concerts during the Jerash Festival every summer.
Where Is the South Theatre?
The theatre lies on the slope just behind the Sanctuary of Zeus, a short walk south-west of the Oval Plaza. From the South Gate, a path climbs the hillside on the left to its entrance.
Like the temple, it was part of a grand southern district — and from its top rows the view stretches across the ruins to the modern town.
Historical Context and Origin
The South Theatre was built around AD 90–92, under Emperor Domitian, making it older than Hadrian’s Arch, the Hippodrome and the great Temple of Zeus. Inscriptions record the local benefactors who helped pay for it, including a former legionary.
When the Temple of Zeus was dedicated in AD 162–163, the theatre became part of a monumental southern quarter of sanctuary, plaza and stage. Over the centuries more than 3,000 spectators gathered here for performances, speeches and festivals.
Architectural Design
The semicircular seating, or cavea, is built against the slope of the hill and divided into two tiers by a walkway. It is about 76 metres (249 feet) wide and rises 16.3 metres (53 feet) above the orchestra. Facing the audience is the stage and its tall, two-storey stage wall with Corinthian columns, niches for statues and three doorways for the actors. Side entrances and vaulted passages let large crowds in and out at different levels.
The Cavea
Two tiers of seats built against the hillside, divided by a walkway, held more than 3,000 spectators.
The Stage Façade
A two-storey stage wall with Corinthian columns, niches and three doorways, restored in the 1950s.
The Orchestra
The paved semicircle in front of the stage — stand in the centre and clap to hear the theatre’s acoustics.
Donors’ Inscriptions
Inscriptions record local benefactors who paid for parts of the theatre, among them a former legionary.
Destruction, Rediscovery, and Restoration
In later centuries earthquakes and stone robbing damaged the theatre, above all the stage façade. In 1925 George Horsfield cleared the orchestra and stage, and between 1953 and 1956 the stage façade and seating were restored for performances. Since 1981 the theatre has hosted concerts of the annual Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts.
https://ancientjordan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_3347.movVisiting the South Theatre Today
Walk down to the centre of the orchestra and clap or speak — the sound carries right around the bowl. Local musicians often play here to show off the acoustics. Then climb to the top row for the classic view of the whole semicircle, with modern Jerash spread across the hills beyond.
Look closely at the stage façade, with its columns, niches and doorways, and at the vaulted passages beneath the seats. If you are in Jordan in summer, try to catch a concert here during the Jerash Festival.
