Al Hisn

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Al Hisn
A farm in Al Hisn
A farm in Al Hisn
Al Hisn (Jordanië  )
Al Hisn
Al Hisn
Location in Jordan
Coordinates: 32°27′N 35°37′E / 32.45, 35.617
Country Jordan
Governorate


Al Hisn (Al Husun) (Arabic: الحصن )is a town in northern Jordan, located 65 km north of Amman, and about 7 km south of Irbid. It has a population of 33,000. The region has fertile soil which along with the moderate climate allows the growing of high quality crops. Al Hisn was known for its wine; now its main products are wheat and olive oil. Al Hisn is registered in Jordanian government documents under the name Al Husun, and it is the administrative center of the Bani Obaid district.


[edit] History

Al Hisn Orthodox Church
Al Hisn Orthodox Church

Al Hisn is one of the possible sites of Dion, a city dating from when the Romans occupied northern Jordan. The Decapolis cities (a ten-city Greco-Roman federation, or league, created under Pompey the Great about 64-63 BCE), according to Pliny the Elder (CE 23-79) were: Scythopolis (Bet She'an), Hippos (Susieh), Gadara (Umm Qais), Pella (Tabaqat Fahl), Philadelphia (Amman), Gerasa (Jerash), Dion, Kanatha (Kanawat), Damascus, and Raphana (Abila).

Al Hisn has one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Jordan, Built in the 11th century, but destroyed in 1680 AD by the Ottoman Army, and then rebuilt in 1886 by the local Christians., Al Hisn is one of the first towns in Jordan to declare Christianity the official religion, and today the majority of Al Hisn inhabitants are Christian.


[edit] Sights

Al Hisn is famous for its Roman-era artificial hill, situated in the northern part of the town, referred to by locals as "Al-Taal". Local legend says there are "castle ruins" underneath which gave the town its name ("Husn" means "castle" in Arabic). The hill is approximately 200 meters high and 800 meters in diameter.

Other sights include the Roman Pool, churches from the Byzantine and Roman eras, and Latin and Greek tombstones.