Amman, the capital and biggest city of Jordan, lies on the hills south of Ajloun Mountains. Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) is the most likely entry point of tourists in Jordan. Crowds usually flee to Petra, Aqaba or the Dead Sea, but Amman has also sights to offer. If you’re also interested in visiting Petra, you may read our itinerary for it by clicking on this link.
The first evidence of human colonisation in this region dates to the 8th millennium BC, in a site called Ain Ghazal. Many archeological findings from here are today at the Jordan National Museum, including a famous anthropomorphic statue with two heads.
The city has since been the capital of the Ammonite Kingdom, changed its name to “Philadelphia” after being conquered by the Ptolemaic Egypt, was annexed to the Roman Empire, changed its name again to Amman in the 7th century AD under the Rashidun Caliphate rule, was largely abandoned during some centuries and started growing again when Ottomans placed refugees in this area.
The city has been rapidly growing in size, proportionally to its number of inhabitants. When it was first pronounced capital of Transjordan (in 1921), its population was of 5000-10000. This number has since been exponentially increasing, and today more than 4 million people call Amman home.
We were in Amman for two days, which we think is fair considering what the city has to offer. We were not in a rush, and in fact you likely can shrink our itinerary to a day and a half. We chose Beirut Hotel as our accommodation. It has great value for money, a central location, very decent rooms, and nice staff.
Day 1:
1.1) Amman citadel
We started our first day by going to one of the highlights. The citadel is definitely a place you don’t want to miss here. Located on the highest hill of Amman (Jebel Al Qala’a), this is the site of the ancient Rabbath-Ammon.
Before entering the complex, it’s nearly impossible to miss the 127-meter-flagpole (the 7th tallest of the world, so far…) that stands on a neighbouring hill.
The most remarkable sights inside the citadel are the standing pillars of the ancient Temple of Hercules and the Umayyad Palace. There’s a viewpoint near the temple from which you can see Amman Downtown and the Roman Theatre.
Between the temple and the palace there’s an elevated area from which you can photograph the columns with the densely populated hills on the background.
There’s also a pretty modest and old-fashioned Archaeological Museum that deserves a quick visit before continuing to the Umayyad Palace. The palace dates to 720 AD and comprises a complex of royal and residential buildings. The area was hit by an earthquake in 749 AD and most of the edifications were never totally rebuilt since. The most preserved part of the palace is the cross-shaped audience hall.
- Amman Citadel: 3JD (free with Jordan Pass)
1.2) Amman Downtown
From the Citadel, go down the alleys and stairs of Amman to eventually reach Al-Hashemi Street. You should be near the Hashemite Plaza and the impressive Roman Theatre by now. This is most evident trace of Roman times, when Amman was known as Philadelphia. There’s also a nearby smaller theatre you can visit (Odeon Theatre).
Inside the Roman Theatre gates, you may find two small museums: the Museum of Popular Traditions and the Jordan Folklore Museum.
We had lunch in one of the many restaurants of Al-Hashemi street before heading to our next stop, the Nymphaeum. Partially renovated by now, this was a public fountain on Roman times. The gates close by 3pm so try to be there before, if possible. Anyway, you may see it from the street even if it’s closed.
We spent the rest of the afternoon in the markets near the Nymphaeum and the Grand Husseini Mosque and ate street food for dinner at the famous and very cheap Hashem restaurant (a must-do).
- Roman Theatre: 2JD (free with Jordan Pass)
Day 2
2.1) The Jordan Museum
The day started in one of the best museums in Middle East. It’s easy to spend here a couple of hours, understanding the foundations of this country. From the pre-historical era to modern times, this museum encompasses all the glory and struggles of the region. The most fascinating pieces of the museum are the aforementioned and spooky Ain Ghazal humanoid statues.
2.2) Rainbow Street & King Abdullah Mosque
After visiting the museum, we went up to the busy Rainbow Street. After some sightseeing we had lunch in a nearby restaurant. We headed then to King Abdullah I Mosque, one of the biggest in Jordan, with a capacity of 3000.
2.3) The Citadel (again)
We ended our time in Amman the same way we started: visiting the Citadel again for a photograph at dusk. The columns of the Temple of Hercules are illuminated and should yield a good photo.
- Jordan Museum: 5JD (not included in the Jordan Pass)
- King Abdullah I Mosque: free
And that’s it for our time in Amman! As we’ve told before, all of this could be compressed in one day and a half but this was our last stop in Jordan and we preferred to have no hurries these last two days.
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