The village of Um Qais wasn’t always as small and as relatively unknown as it is now today. Gadara, as it was once known, was a large city that consisted of markets, hot baths, churches, fountains, mosaics, housing, courtyards and much more. This important city passed through the hands of many empires such as the Greeks, the Ptolemaic dynasty from Egypt, the Seleucids Empire from Macedonia, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Ottomans. Influences of each empire can be found throughout the ancient city; from the theaters and baths of the Greeks, the water systems of the Romans, the Christian adaptations from the Byzantines, and the name from the Ottomans; the town became known as Um Qais because of the Turkish word Mkais, which refers to taxation.

There were important battles in this area, such as the Battle of Yarmouk, which was an important fight between Muslim Arab forces from the Rashidun Caliphate against those of the Byzantine Empire. The Arab forces were lead by Khalid Ibn Al-Walid, who was a very successful military tactician and companion of the Prophet Mohammed. This region is now named after this military general who once fought in the Levant, the Hijaz, and lower Mesopotamia.

Um Qais would also play an important role in the very recent history of Jordan, as military bunkers can be seen in the immediate vicinity of the historical site of Gadara. These were used in the Arab-Israeli war of 1967 and were kept in use for the years after the war. Today, there is still a military presence, as Um Qais is close to the Golan heights and the Israeli border. However, due to peace between the two countries the military presence is merely a reminder of the region’s history post 1945.

Established in 2010 by the RSCN (http://www.rscn.org.jo/) and located on the hills surrounding Um Qais, the Yarmouk Forest Reserve is a protected area known for its deciduous oak trees, the national tree of Jordan. Yarmouk’s landscape provides a rich diversity of habitats for countless plants and animals. Over 16 species of large mammals, including the Caracal and Mountain Gazelle, have been recorded and the Yarmouk River even boasts one species of endemic Tilapia fish. Yarmouk is home to 14% of all of Jordan’s birds, making it an Important Bird Area and prime corridor for global migration. For many of these species, Yarmouk is their last hope: the Pygmy Cormorant, Marbled Teal, Griffon Vulture, and the Brown Fish Owl are all threatened with extinction on a regional or global level. Currently, forests constitute about 1% of the total Jordanian land area, which means that the deciduous oak trees in Yarmouk are more than scenic landscape; they are a national treasure. Although the pattern of their growth is not seen anywhere else in the Kingdom, these national trees of Jordan were not on any other conservation list and their national and regional survival was severely threatened by logging and overgrazing.

Blah blah blah blah Blah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blahBlah blah blah blah