THE UNDERGROUND MAUSOLEUM

Under the octagonal basilica, at the foot of the theatre, an underground mausoleum dating back to the Roman occupation of Gadara was discovered by chance by the Jordanian army during the Six-Day War. It was used as a field hospital during the fighting. German archaeologists undertook excavations there in 1998 and unearthed a mosaic on display in the museum. They also found tombs guarded by sphinxes. A massive revolving slab separated the entrance from the burial chamber where eight sarcophagi were found.