The capital of Jordan, Amman is a fascinating and vibrant city located between the desert and the Jordan Valley, with almost half of Jordan’s population in the Amman area it is defiantly thriving. There is a sense of old meets new here with many ultra modern buildings in the centre of this city next to more traditional shops and markets. With the area steeped in history there is defiantly plenty to take in and do.
Amman’s history dates back nine millennia, Citadel hill contains tombs from the early Bronze Age and the area has one of the largest Neolithic settlements. In the early 1900’s Amman became a busy trade rout thanks to the rail network which passed through bringing the cities mixed population to 3000 people, helping the city become what it is today with a fair mixture of different cultures. Amman in now a modern and lively city with well over 2 million people living here with lots of modern amenities like high class hotels, gourmet restaurants, nightclubs and shopping centers. But don’t worry you can still sample some of the rustic charm of Amman with traditional establishments like the Arabic-style communal bathhouse dating back to the Roman era. Amman has also seen Hollywood stars visit it, most recently Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie with their twins who were in the Middle East to visit Iraqi refugees in Syria.
It is also easy to get to, with flights to Amman Airport offered by a large number of international airlines, the airport also is only 32km south of the city and there is a regular bus service to Amman’s Abdali bus station however taxi is normally the easiest way to travel and should only take about half an hour.
Citadel Amman
Picture Courtesy of kyle simourd
