Abila/Raphana

Abila, an ancient site located 13km northeast of Irbid, Abila is most well known as one of
the cities of the Hellenistic league known as the Decapolis, and then as the home of five
prominent churches during the Byzantine period. Abila or ancient Raphana lies 15 km
(9 mi) to the north of Irbid, east of Umm Qais, 2 km (1 mi) east of Hartha. The largest
site is located amidst verdant agricultural fields near the modern Ain Quweilbeh spring.
Roman temples, Byzantine churches and early mosques lie amidst olive groves and
wheat fields.
Excavations indicate that the site was inhabited more than 5,000 years ago in the
early Bronze Age, and appears to have been continually used by man since then. The
site was in use from the Neolithic period until the Abbasid / Fatimid and Ayyubid/
Mamluk periods , though its use in these later periods was limited. While several of its
ancient structures have been excavated including aqueducts, tombs, gates and public
buildings, Abila is especially fascinating because so much of its remains unexcavated,
yet visible of the surface of the ground.