Jordan’s bustling capital is a fascinating blend of old and new. The city’smodern buildingssit alongside remnants of the many ancient civilisations that have left their mark on Jordan. Visitors can wander through the old souks, enjoy mint tea or shisha in the city’s many cafés, and shop for authentic Jordanian souvenirs in artisan shops.
Set on a hill overlooking the city is the Amman Citadel, an historic site which houses the remnants of the Roman Temple of Hercules and the eighth-century Umayyad Palace complex, known for its grand dome.Artefacts recovered here dating from the Bronze Age show that the site has been inhabited for thousands of years.
Some of Amman’s most impressive archaeological treasures date from when the city was under Roman rule;in the Downtown area, visitors can explore remains of a second-century Roman public fountain and an amphitheatre that once sat 6,000 spectators. Nearby is the Ottoman-style Grand Husseini Mosque, constructed in the 1920s on the site of an ancient mosque built originally in 640 AD.