Amman Jordan's Capital City
Rabbath-Ammon- Between the Desert and the Jordan Valley
Some of them will simply use the city as the first step in a journey which will take them to the more popular tourist destinations of: Madaba, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Petra and Aqaba in the far south of the country.
But it’s well worth lingering in Amman. Although the city is essentially a modern one, much of it built in the second half of the 20th century, there is a considerable historic and archaeological legacy, and much for the visitor to see.
Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, archaeological excavations have revealed buildings belonging to the Stone Age, around 7000BC. Indeed Amman is widely believed to occupy the ancient Biblical site of Rabbath-Ammon.
The Citadel
Downtown is the area of the city where most of the ancient sites are to be found and first on the list for places to visit should be Citadel hill standing over 800 metres above sea level giving the visitor a superb view over the city.
On the Citadel you will find al Qasr (the Temple) built in the reign of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, with its fascinating monumental gateway, vaulted chambers and a colonnaded street that runs through the ruins. Close to this site are the remains of a Byzantine church, the Great Temple of Amman and the Jordanian Archaeological Museum ,home to a collection of Islamic and other antiquities.
Jordan Folklore Museum
Other small museums nearby are the Jordan Folklore Museum, which gives a fascinating insight into local traditions and the Museum of Popular Traditions.
Nearby is the Roman Amphitheatre, still sometimes used for sporting and artistic occasions and a favourite spot for the inquisitive schoolchildren of Amman.
It’s also worth spending an hour or two wandering around the Downtown markets and streets where gold, jewellery, exotic spices and almost anything else you can think of is on sale, and you can still barter with many of the shopkeepers.
Budget Hotels Amman
For those on a limited budget many of Amman’s cheap hotels are also to be found in the Downtown area, these range from comfortable to extremely grotty, particularly some of the ones near the bus station.
Luxury Hotels Amman
For five star luxury hotels try the diplomatic district with its wide tree lined streets, where many of the buildings are faced in gleaming, local white stone.
There are a number of top end hotels in the city, among them are the Inter-Continental Jordan, which is within walking distance of the city centre and the Kempinski Hotel on Shouman Street in the Shmeisani district.
To make the most of your stay in Amman the best way to get about is probably by taxi, or if you can afford to hire a car and driver even better.
If you are considering renting a car to see the city, think carefully! Drivers in Amman are not known for their safe or sensible driving, for them it’s a one handed operation, that is one on the steering wheel and the other out the window gesticulating at the other passing chariots.
How Safe is Amman?
Overall, with reasonable precautions Amman is a safe, exciting city well worth stopping in for a few days enjoyable sightseeing.
Further information on Amman and other parts of Jordan.
