Welcome to Amman, the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the largest city in the Levant. People have lived here since the 8th millennium BC, at Ain Ghazal, home to the world's oldest human statues. In the Iron Age it was Rabat Aman, capital of the Ammonite Kingdom, and the Greeks later renamed it Philadelphia. After centuries of decline, Amman grew again from 1878 and became the capital of Transjordan in 1921. It was first built on seven hills, but now spans more than 19. Let us start on the highest hill of the old city.
Amman Citadel
Photo: David Bjorgen · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsTowering over Downtown Amman, Citadel Hill is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. People lived here in the Neolithic period, the hill was fortified in the Bronze Age, and after 1200 BCE it became the capital of the Kingdom of Ammon. Empires came and went: Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad. Most of what you see dates from the last three. Look for the Temple of Hercules, the Byzantine church and the Umayyad Palace. And here is a thought to take with you: a great part of the Citadel has never been excavated.
Roman Theatre
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsCarved into the hillside opposite the Citadel is the Roman Theatre, built in the 2nd century, when the city was called Philadelphia. A Greek inscription shows it was built in honour of Emperor Antoninus Pius. Climb the steep rows of seats, which could hold about 6,000 people. The Roman builders thought of their audience: the theatre faces north, to keep the sun out of the spectators' eyes. In the rooms behind the side entrances you will find two small museums of Jordanian popular tradition and folklore.
King Abdullah I Mosque
Photo: Makeandtoss · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsIn the Abdali area, look for a striking blue mosaic dome: this is the King Abdullah I Mosque, named in honour of King Abdullah the First. It was built between 1982 and 1989, and beneath its dome 3,000 worshippers can pray together. Visitors are welcome here. Modest dress is expected: men wear long trousers, and women cover their heads, arms and legs, with a hooded gown provided free of charge for those who need one.
Jerash
Photo: Petar Milošević · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsAbout 48 kilometres north of Amman lies Jerash, home to one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities, often called the Pompeii of the Middle East. In Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine times it flourished as Gerasa, one of the cities of the Decapolis. It was also an important early Christian city, and some of its churches were once temples. In the 8th century, the Galilee earthquake of 749 destroyed large parts of it, and the ruins slowly disappeared from history. Excavations since 1925 have gradually revealed the ancient city, and today it hosts the Jerash Festival, one of the leading cultural events of the Middle East.
Dead Sea
Photo: لا روسا · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOn Jordan's western edge lies the Dead Sea, a landlocked salt lake in the Jordan Rift Valley, fed mainly by the Jordan River. Its shores are the lowest land on Earth, more than 400 metres below sea level. The water is almost ten times as salty as the ocean, so dense that swimming feels like floating. That harsh salinity is why plants and animals cannot flourish here, and why it got its name. People have come here for thousands of years: it was one of the world's first health resorts, and its asphalt was even used in Egyptian mummification.
Lomakuume
