Irbid, known in ancient times as Arabella or Arbela, is the capital and largest city of Irbid Governorate. It has the second-largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman, with a population of around 2,003,800. As a city, Irbid is Jordan's third-largest, after Amman and Zarqa. Irbid is located about 70 kilometres north of Amman on the northern ridge of the Gilead, equidistant from Pella, Beit Ras, and Um Qais, and approximately 20 kilometres south of the Syrian border.