Seven Hills of Amman and other Amman, Jordan Things to Do Tips

Like Rome, Amman is built on seven hills. A hill in Arabic is "jebel", which translates to "mount" or "hill". The seven are: Jebel Amman, Jebel al-Qala'a, Jebel Ashrafiyeh, Jebel Weibdeh, Jebel al-Hussein, Jebel al-Nasr, and Jebel al-Joufeh, although with the rapid expansion of the city over the past few decades, Amman now covers twenty! Attached are photos of five of the seven hills and below are a few landmarks to help the visitor identify some of those hills:

* Jebel al-Qala'a - the Citadel and its ancient ruins.
* Jebel Ashrafiyeh - crowned with the Mosque of Abu Darwish, the black and white striped mosque.
* Jebel al-Hussain - marked with the enormous Jordanian flag and its tall flagpole.
* Jebel Weibdeh - contains the blue-domed King Abdullah Mosque, the Coptic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church.
* Jebel Amman - Just south of Jebel Weibdeh and extends westwards. It contains the famous numbered circles of Amman.

Leave a Comment

Built around 150 AD, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, the Amphitheatre is the most impressive survivor of Roman Philadelphia. It is also the largest Roman theatre in Jordan, with a seating capacity of up to 6000 people. It was cut into the north side of one of Amman's seven hills in what is now the city's downtown. The theatre was much restored in the 50s and 60s and has since held many cultural events and concerts. Within the Amphitheatre complex are two small museums, dedicated to Jordanian folklore and popular traditions. What is striking about the theatre is that it offers an incredibly quiet space with great acoustics, away from the mad streets of downtown Amman.

Leave a Comment

Located next to the Roman Theatre, the Odeon is a smaller amphitheatre. It was constructed in the 2nd century AD, with a seating capacity of only 500 people, and held mainly musical performances. It is said that the original structure was covered with a wooden ceiling to shield spectators from the sun. The structure was heavily restored in recent years and continues to hold small performances.

Leave a Comment

Bordered by the Amphitheatre one side and the Odeon on another, Philadelphia's Forum was one of the largest squares in the Roman Empire. The Forum dates from 190 AD and was the centre of city life during the Roman period. Only small sections of the surrounding colonnades have survived to this day, with the few well-preserved columns captured in the attached photographs. The colonnades were on three sides of this large square, while the northern side opened to a stream now buried under the modern streets.

Leave a Comment

Located in the heart of downtown, the Nymphaeum of Philadelphia dates back to 191 AD. It was once twice its current size and contained statues, mosaics, and a large pool fed by the waters of a stream now buried under the modern streets. The side facing the main street looks more like a castle with its imposing round towers. The Nymphaeum now lies in ruins among modern buildings of Amman and had been closed for reconstruction for sometime. Beautifully carved blocks of stone are piled up on the site waiting for their turn in the reconstruction. Although the work was not yet complete when I visited Amman in August 2008, the site had been left open for anyone to walk in and inspect. My host in Amman and I had the pleasure of being the only visitors!

Leave a Comment

Address: Quraysh Street

Occupying Jebel al-Qala'a, the highest of the seven hills, the Citadel dominates downtown Amman. The hill had been inhabited for thousands of years and remained of importance until the destructive earthquake of 749 AD. The walls protecting the Citadel were rebuilt and restored repeatedly, but trace their foundation to the earliest of times. The Citadel is the site of the ancient city of Rabbat Ammon, the Acropolis of Graeco-Roman Philadelphia, the seat of Christian bishops in the early Byzantine Empire, and the Omayyad Palace complex. When the city fell into decline after the earthquake of 749 AD, the Citadel was never rebuilt. Today, it is one of Amman's most important historic sites and contains ruins of several structures dating various periods, as well as the National Archeological Museum. Cultural events are also frequently held within the Citadel.

Leave a Comment

Address: Jebel al-Qala'a

Towering above downtown Amman, the Temple of Hercules is said to have been larger than any temple in the Roman Empire's capital, Rome. It was completed in 166 AD within the Acropolis of Philadelphia, today's Citadel of Amman. Although much of the structure has disappeared, the outline and a few columns have survived. Some of the columns were re-erected in the 1990s and are visible from most of downtown Amman.

Leave a Comment

Address: Jebel al-Qala'a

Dating from the late 6th century AD, the Byzantine Basilica Church is located within the Citadel. It was destroyed along with the rest of the Citadel in the 749 AD earthquake and was never rebuilt. The nave of the Church contained a few Corinthian columns which were likely recycled from an earlier Roman temple. Some of these columns have been re-erected in their actual locations, while the semi-circular apse in the back has been partially reconstructed. Behind the church are some Byzantine-period ruins with surviving arches and walls.

Leave a Comment

Built by the Omayyad dynasty in 720 AD, the Palace Complex housed the governor of Amman and his entourage. The Complex included a mosque, an Entrance Hall, residential and administrative buildings and a water cistern. The mosque was located just outside the complex, and the non-religious section was accessed through the entrance hall where visitors were received. The Entrance Hall (see separate tip) is the best preserved structure in the complex. The rest lies mostly in ruins, but whose foundations are clearly visible. The entire complex lasted only a short period as destruction befell it in the 749 AD earthquake.

Leave a Comment

Address: Jebel al-Qala'a

The foundation of the fairly large mosque, which served the Omayyad Palace and its quarters, is discernible within the citadel. The structure, built in 720 AD opposite the Omayyad Palace, has only survived in ruins. It was a typical early-Islamic mosque with a spacious courtyard surrounded by colonnaded porticoes, similar to the early construction of the Omayyad Mosque in Damascus, or the Mosque of Amr ibn al-As in Old Cairo. The bases of the columns are visible, and a section of the mosque's northern wall has been reconstructed, showing similar carvings as the façade and interior of the entrance hall of the opposite Palace. The mosque was destroyed along with the rest of the citadel in the 749 AD earthquake.

Leave a Comment