In the morning you could explore a bustling bazaar and secure a bargain Bedouin rug, then take a baguette and cappuccino lunch in a swish bistro restaurant, before spending the afternoon immersed in history at one of Amman’s ancient Roman, Byzantine or Islamic sites.
In the morning you could explore a bustling bazaar and secure a bargain Bedouin rug, then take a baguette and cappuccino lunch in a swish bistro restaurant, before spending the afternoon immersed in history at one of Amman’s ancient Roman, Byzantine or Islamic sites. You might then enjoy modern art in one of the city’s many galleries, and afterwards take in a literary evening or mingle with the crowds along fashionable Abu Bakr As Siddeeq Street, better known as Rainbow Street or Al-Rainbow Street. Later you could enjoy a gourmet meal before heading back to your ultra-modern hotel. Yes, Amman, which held the UNESCO title of Arab Cultural Capital in 2002, is a city that lives life in a 21st-century fashion, while celebrating its remarkable history extremely well.
Amman lounges over seven fertile hills, known as jabal or jebel (Arabic jah-bahl), that lie between the desert sands of the east and the Jordan Valley. Each quarter is named after the jabal on which it sits. The main thoroughfare linking one side of Amman with the other has a series of roundabouts, called Circles (duwaar). They give their name to the immediate area around the Circle. For example, the first roundabout you come to from the eastern side of the city is 1st Circle, which is an area of Downtown Amman; the second, 2nd Circle, is a part of Abdali, and so on. It is a busy city, but one that is surprisingly easy to navigate and most of the main sights are within easy reach of each other.