The site of the Citadel in Amman contains the remains of the Temple of Hercules, built between 161BCE and 166BCE, and the Jordan Archaeological Museum with its collections of pottery, glass, flint and metal tools, a copy of the Mesha Stele and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Nearby, the domed eighth-century BCE Al-Qasr (palace) is the centrepiece of a once mighty Umayyad city. The Citadel ticket office is located on Mathaf Street, just off King Ali Bin Al-Hussein Street.
Things to see in Amman
Tourist offices
Address: Al-Mutanabbi St, Third Circle, Jebel Amman, Amman, 11118, Jordan
Tel: +962 6 460 3360.
Opening Hours:
Sun-Thurs 0830-1830
www.mota.gov.joA selection of free glossy booklets, brochures and maps can be obtained from here. More information can be obtained online at www.visitjordan.com.
Downhill from the Citadel, the Corinthian colonnade of Philadelphia's original market place, The Forum, leads to a Roman Theatre, built during the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161BCE). On the left side of the theatre stage, a statue of a Bedouin warrior guards the Museum of Popular Tradition with its sixth-century mosaics, collections of antique jewellery and displays of traditional costumes. At the other side, the statue of a Circassian in traditional dress stands at the Jordanian Folklore Museum. A Bedouin tent features in a tableau depicting desert life, and a recreated living room from an Ammani house depicts the life of city dwellers.
This tranquil garden contains the former home of Peak Pasha, Captain (later, Lieutenant Colonel) Frederick Peak, who commanded the Arab Legion from the early 1920s until 1939. Now it is a gallery housing works by leading Arab artists. Visitors can expect a multitude of different collections from visiting exhibitions as well as workshops in writing, art and music, film screenings, talks, and interviews with artists displaying work.
This museum has an amazing collection of motorbikes and cars dating back to the time of the Great Arab Revolt and includes the late King Hussein's 1952 Lincoln Capri (that he had while he was a student in England) and the 1955 Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing' he once raced. For motor enthusiasts, the museum also has the first ever car to officially be presented to the world (made by Karl Benz, a founder of Mercedes-Benz) and often hosts revolving exhibitions.
The Al-Husseini Mosque was built by the late King Abdullah in 1924 on the site of a much older mosque and possibly also the site of Philadelphia's Byzantine cathedral. Constructed in pink and white stone in the Ottoman style, it was fully restored in 1987. Known also as the King Hussein Mosque, the streets outside are often full of life with street vendors and juice sellers peddling their wares. Entry is for Muslims only.
The Hejaz Railway Station, which is best visited in a taxi, is like a time-tunnel to a vanished age. Just ask the taxi driver to take you to Mahatta (Arabic for station). Trains leave from here to make the eight- or nine-hour trip to Damascus using rolling stock that was old when even Lawrence of Arabia was attempting to blow it up. There's a fine collection of working steam locomotives that are used for corporate and tourist excursions, a remarkable little railway museum and a very friendly station master too.
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