castle
Ajloun Castle
A 12th-century Ayyubid castle built by Saladin's general on a hilltop to control the Jordan Valley iron mines and counter Crusader expansion.
27 km · about 30 min drive
Irbid, Jordan · Asia
Zaḩar is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Qumaym, 34km from Sea of Galilee.
Zaḩar is a town located in Irbid, Jordan. With a population of 4,150, it is an important destination in Asia.
On a road trip, Zaḩar sits in Jordan. It's in the Asia/Amman time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Zaḩar to your route.
Barsinia, Bersinia, Tell Barsina or Khirbet Barsiniya is an archaeological site in northern Jordan, located near the village of Dayr a-Si'na, west of Irbid. Excavations have revealed evidence of largely continuous settlement spanning the Iron Age II through the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, early Islamic, Mamluk, andRead more
Ottoman periods. The origin of the site's name remains uncertain, with proposed etymologies linking it to either of two historical figures named Barsine or to Phoenician and Greek or Latin roots. Félix-Marie Abel identified the site with biblical Rogelim, although this identification has since been challenged.
Remains at the site include a residential quarter of interconnected rooms and courtyards with paved and mosaic floors, hearths, and silos, alongside evidence of a probable Byzantine church and a Roman-Byzantine bathhouse. Notable finds range from a 7th-century Umayyad coin and an ivory kohl stick to a Rhodian stamped amphora handle dated to the early 2nd century BC.
At the eastern edge of the site, four tombs dating to the Roman and Byzantine periods contained the remains of dozens of individuals; one, a monumental "temple tomb" mausoleum, is among only a handful of known examples of this type in the region. Isotopic and dental analysis of the skeletal remains has indicated a generally healthy, locally rooted population that relied on a self-sufficient local diet.
Barsinia first drew scholarly attention in the 19th century. A 2005 joint survey by Yarmouk University and the French Institute for the Middle East noted its importance among sites in the West Irbid area. Signs of looting prompted formal rescue excavations, first carried out in 2006 under Lamia El-Khouri of Yarmouk University's Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology, with a further season in 2007.
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Zaḩar offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Zaḩar is located in Irbid, Jordan, Asia. The coordinates are 32.5667 latitude, 35.7781 longitude.
Zaḩar has a population of approximately 4,150 people, making it a town in Jordan.
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4 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
A 12th-century Ayyubid castle built by Saladin's general on a hilltop to control the Jordan Valley iron mines and counter Crusader expansion.
27 km · about 30 min drive
ancient ruins
One of the best-preserved and most complete Roman provincial cities in the world, featuring colonnaded streets, temples, theaters, and an unusual oval plaza.
34 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
The largest freshwater lake in Israel, central to Christian scripture and surrounded by important biblical sites including Capernaum and the Mount of Beatitudes.
34 km · about 40 min drive
scenic viewpoint
A cliff dropping 380m to the Sea of Galilee, with fortified caves cut into its face by Jewish rebels and a lookout taking in the whole lake to the Golan. Israel's only base-jumping mountain.
39 km · about 45 min drive
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