Amman
Currency
JOD
Language
Arabic
Timezone
Amman
Continent
Asia
Discover Amman
Amman is built on nineteen hills and reads from the highest. Citadel Hill carries four thousand years in one place: the Roman Temple of Hercules, the 8th-century Umayyad Palace and a Byzantine church, with the modern city spread below. At its foot, the Roman Theater cut into the hillside seats six thousand and is still used, with the Odeon and the Nymphaeum beside it. The King Abdullah I Mosque, under its blue dome, is the only one in Amman open to non-Muslim visitors. The Jordan Museum holds the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Ain Ghazal statues, among the oldest known human figures.
When to go
March to May and September to November: twenty-five degrees, clear skies. Summer is dry and hot, up to thirty-five, but Amman's altitude — eight hundred metres — keeps the nights cool, unlike Petra or the Dead Sea. Winter is cold and wet, with snow in some years. Ramadan changes the hours of everything and its dates move each year.
Getting around
Amman is driven more than walked: the hills are steep and the distances deceptive. Yellow taxis run on the meter, which must be insisted on, and Careem is simpler. The downtown, the Balad, is walked once you are dropped there. Rainbow Street and Jabal Amman hold the cafés. Petra is three hours away by road and Wadi Rum four: those are trips of at least one night, not day trips.
Where to eat
Mansaf — lamb simmered in fermented sheep's yoghurt, served over rice and bread — is the national dish, eaten with the right hand on occasions. Morning falafel and hummus are an institution, and the best places close when they run out. Kunafa, a cheese and syrup pastry, is eaten hot and standing. One halal address is listed, which means nothing here: all of it is.
Good to know
The Jordanian dinar is strong — one dinar is worth more than a euro — and the scale surprises at the first withdrawal. The Jordan Pass, bought online before departure, covers the visa and admission to Petra and most sites: it pays for itself as soon as Petra is on the plan. Friday mornings are quiet until prayers. Covered clothing is expected outside the westernised quarters, and required in mosques.
Where to Stay in Amman
Top Activities in Amman
landmarkKing Abdullah I Mosque
landmarkCitadel Hill
landmarkRoman Theater
landmarkTemple of Hercules
museumThe Jordan Museum
museumJordan Archaeological Museum
landmarkHusseini Mosque
landmarkOdeon
landmarkNymphaeum
Umayyad Palace
landmarkHashemite Plaza
landmark