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Amman
About Amman
Amman is the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan and both a modern, thriving metropolis and one of the oldest cities in the world with many historical sites mostly in downtown area. It is built on seven hills, or jabals, each of which more or less defines a neighbourhood. Amman is a bustling commercial and administrative center with good shopping opportunities in both old markets and souqs as well as in modern shops. It has many good restaurants, fine art galleries and impressive museums.
Local highlights
- The ancient Citadel with the impressive al-Qasr ("the Palace") building, close by the remains of a small Byzantine basilica and the Great Temple of Amman built in the reign of the emperor Marcus Aurelius
- Also on Citadel Hill is the Jordan Archeological Museum with an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls
- Downhill is the Roman Amphitheater built during the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161 CE), is cut into the northern side of a hill. It is also home to the Jordan Folklore Museum and the Museum of Popular Traditions
- Odeon is a small theatre built at about the same time as the Roman theatre for musical concerts.
- The Nymphaeum-the Roman fountain
- The King Hussein Mosque
Highlights in the vicinity
- The town of Salt (30 km north west of Amman) with its small town charm and Ottoman architecture. Its Department of Antiquities Museum has pottery and coins dating from the Chalcolithic period through the Mamluk period (4500-1516 CE)
- Wadi Seer (24 km southwest of Amman) with its lush, tree-covered valley in the middle of a high desert plateau. About 10 km past the village of Wadi Seer are the ruins of Qasr al-Abd (Castle of the Slave) and the ancient caves of ‘Iraq al-Amir (Caves of the Prince)
- Jerash (48 km north of Amman) one of the largest and well-preserved sites of Roman architecture outside Italy with colonnaded streets, baths, theaters, plazas and arches in exceptional condition
- ‘Ajloun (73 km from Amman) with its famous Qala’at al-Rabadh castle, a medieval Arab/Islamic military fortress against invading Crusaders
- The Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley
- East of Amman with its desert plain and endless sand and barren basalt landscapes with the Azraq Oasis (110 km of Amman) as a last settlement before Iraq and Saudi Arabia
- King’s Highway, already mentioned in the Bible.
- Madaba (30 km southwest of Amman) with its beautifull 6th-century mosaics in the Church of St. George
- The most famous attraction in Jordan is the city of Petra, nestled away in the mountains south of the Dead Sea. Petra is located just outside the town of Wadi Mousa in southern Jordan (260 km from Amman)
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 1.6 Million
- Timezone: UTC +2
- Police tel.nr. 192
Local transport
- Taxis are metered
- Servees or minibuses
- Car rental-fairly expensive. Be sure to take a four-wheel drive in the desert
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: Amman International Airport
- Train: The Hijaz Railway train runs once a week between Amman and Damascus
- Buses:
- JETT buses with daily services (book in advance)
- Large private buses, usually air-conditioned
- Minibuses to smaller towns (20 seats)
- Car: The King Hussein Bridge (or Allenby Bridge) is a direct crossing point between Jordan and the West Bank. Other The crossing points are the Sheikh Hussein Bridge in the north of the Jordan Valley, and the Wadi ‘Araba crossing in the south near Aqaba and Eilat
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