"Amman عمّان" Top 5 Page for this destination Amman by MM212

Amman Travel Guide: 685 reviews and 1,305 photos

Amman - Aug 2008 - Amman
Amman - Aug 2008
Philadelphia - Rabbat Ammon

An ancient city, Amman traces its earliest roots back over five millennia. Although a settlement existed on Jebel al-Qala'a, the Citadel Hill since about 3500 BC, it was not until two millennia later that a great city emerged on the site as the capital of the Ammonite kingdom founded by the Semitic tribe beni Ammon. They named their capital city Rabbat Ammon, which means "house of Ammon". The Ammonite apogee came to end at the hands of the Babylonians in 585 BC sending their city into a period of decline which lasted until after the arrival of Alexander the Great. One of his successors, Ptolemy Philadelphus rebuilt the city in the 3rd century BC and renamed it Philadelphia, after his own name. While changing hands from Ptolemies to Seleucids to Nabateans, Philadelphia resurged as the southernmost city in the Decapolis, the ten regional thriving cities encompassing Damascus and Gerasa. The Romans conquered the city in 30 BC and constructed the many grand Roman monuments surviving to this day. Philadelphia's importance continued into the Byzantine period, when it briefly became the seat of Christian bishops, and lasted until the destructive Persian invasion in the 7th century AD. The Omayyads then displaced the Byzantines and the Persians, restored the city's Semitic name, albeit modified as Amman, and gave it another brief revival, but it all came to an end with the great earthquake of 749 AD.

After nature annihilated the ancient city, Philadelphia and Amman went into oblivion for centuries. It remained a mere settlement of 2000 people through the early 19th century. In 1878, greater life began to return when the fertile valleys between the seven hills of Amman were settled by Circassian emigrants escaping the Russian expansion into the Caucasus region. A few decades later, Amman was put back on the map when the Ottomans made it a stop along the new Hejaz Railway linking Constantinople with Medina. Soon afterwards, the re-born city became the capital of a new state the Trans-Jordan, carved by the British out of the Ottoman Empire. Nowadays, Amman is a large sprawling city of 2 million inhabitants made up of Jordanians, Circassians, Palestinians and more recently also Iraqis.

Due to its fragmented history, Amman's architectural heritage is unlike any city in the Levant. It boasts no mediaeval structures - absolutely nothing between the 8th and 19th centuries - only ancient ruins and modern construction (the only exception is the Ayyubid Watchtower in the citadel). Thus, visitors must be prepared to find no mediaeval souks to wander or magnificent Mamluke and Ottoman-period mosques to admire, such as those in Aleppo or Cairo. Most visitors see the main sites in a day and then head off to visit the more exciting destinations around Jordan. However, if you are fortunate enough to have friends in Jordan, then they may show you their version of Amman: a modern, liberal, tolerant, safe and fun Middle Eastern city.

My first visit to Amman (and Jordan) was a 10 hour layover in August 2008. A friend was kind enough to host me during my brief stay and showed me the sites, so I was able to witness both the tourist and the local aspects of the city. My second visit is outlined below:

15-day Jordan/Syria/Arabia Itinerary in Dec 2010/Jan 2011:

Amman - Madaba - Iraq al Amir - Salt - Syria (Bosra - Suweida - Qanawat - Shahba) - Madaba (again) - Dead Sea - Kerak - Wadi Musa/Petra - Wadi Rum - Amman (again) - Jerash => Hijaz region of Arabia

  • Last visit to Amman: Jan 2011
  • Intro Updated Aug 31, 2012
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Reviews (38)

Nuts at the Amman Souk, Dec 2010 - Amman The Amman Souk Things to Do (24)

Located in el-Balad (Downtown Amman), the Amman souk (bazaar) is the highlight of visiting this part of Amman. Though... more travel advice

The colossal hand, Dec 2010 - Amman Colossal Statue (of Hercules?) Things to Do (24)

Next to the Temple of Hercules once stood a colossal statue of a god. Although the specific deity is now unknown, it... more travel advice

Roman colonnade in the citadel, Dec 2010 - Amman Colonnaded Street Things to Do (24)

This colonnaded street with original pavement lies within the Omayyad Palace complex in the Citadel. It connected the... more travel advice

Corinthian Columns of the Byzantine Church, Jan 11 - Amman Daret al-Funun - Byzantine Church of St... Things to Do (24)

Hidden within one of the multiple terraces that make up the gardens of Darat al-Funun (an art gallery) are the... more travel advice

Comments (8)

  • Reply
    Jim_Eliason's Profile Photo
    Aug 9, 2012 at 9:31 PM

    nice page!

  • Reply
    TheWanderingCamel's Profile Photo
    Nov 7, 2009 at 3:37 AM

    You certainly made the most of the time you had in Amman... and great that you made it to Wild Jordan. leyle

  • Reply
    angiebabe's Profile Photo
    Dec 24, 2008 at 4:12 AM

    Hi I loved my intro trip to Jordan in Oct - wanted to go to Amman mostly to see the black and white mosque but with my car didnt want any more city hassle by then - its on my next time list tho!thanks for your page!

  • Reply
    barryg23's Profile Photo
    Dec 14, 2008 at 8:06 AM

    Hey Momo, happy birthday foir yesterday. I'm heading to Jordan next March, wasn't planning on spending too much time in Amman but having read your page I've changed my mind. Looks like an interesting city.

  • Reply
    mikelisaanna's Profile Photo
    Oct 3, 2008 at 9:13 AM

    We enjoyed your Amman page and tips. Jordan is a country that we would like to visit one day and you gave us a lot of helpful info.

  • Reply
    call_me_rhia's Profile Photo
    Sep 18, 2008 at 9:39 AM

    your restaurant... mhhh... i did not eat there but i visited the shop with my jordanian friend. fell in love with the decorated ostrich eggs :-)

  • Reply
    Redang's Profile Photo
    Sep 14, 2008 at 11:21 AM

    Interesting!

  • Reply
    Tijavi's Profile Photo
    Sep 12, 2008 at 4:51 AM

    Another interesting ME page in the making...do let me know too when it's done. Cheers from the desert.

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