Its ruins are today located at Umm Qais, a small town in the Bani Kinanah Department and Irbid Governorate in Jordan, near its borders with Israel and Syria.

This city is distinct from another contemporary one, Gadara or Gadora of Peraea, identified with the archaeological mound of Tell el-Jadur near Salt, Jordan.

[3] During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, Gadara was a centre of Greek culture in the region, considered one of its most Hellenised[4] and enjoying special political and religious status.

Jewish-Roman historian Josephus relates that after King Herod's death in 4 BC, Gadara was made part of the Roman province of Syria.

Ancient Gadara was important enough to become a suffragan bishopric of the Metropolitan Archbishopric of Scythopolis, the capital of the Roman province of Palestina Secunda, but it faded with the city after the Muslim conquest.

[13][clarification needed] David Sider notes that Gadara was produced numerous remarkable philosophers, writers and mathematicians, but in spite of that and of being large enough to boast two theatres, it saw all its famous sons move to Greece and Italy in search of career opportunities.

The ruins include those of "baths, two theaters, a hippodrome, colonnaded streets and, under the Romans, aqueducts,"[23] a temple, a basilica and other buildings, telling of a once splendid city.