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| Amman - City with a timeless ambiance | |||
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 mman, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. It is Jordan’s modern and ancient capital with a history dating back 5,000 years.
Anyone visiting Amman for the first time will be surprised above all by the hills. The mental image of a Middle Eastern capital set on a dusty plain must be discarded, for Amman lies on a high plateau of 850m. Amman was built on seven hills, called Jabals (the Arabic word for mountain), each of which more or less defines a neighborhood and gives it its name, like Jabal Amman and Jabal Al-Hussein. The seven hills of Amman are an enchanting mixture of ancient and modern. 
The city is dotted with a number of historic sites from the Stone Age to the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic eras. Each is considered interesting in its own way. The first impression you get as you arrive, is that of a modern city with limestone and concrete buildings with well-maintained cars cruising wide streets.
The city's modern buildings blend with the remnants of ancient civilizations. The profusion of gleaming white houses, kebab stalls with roasting meat and tiny cafes where rich Arabian coffee is sipped in the afternoon sunshine, conjure a mood straight from a thousand and one nights. The greatest charm of Amman however, is found in the hospitality of its residents. Amman is awash with markets - fruit and vegetables from the Jordan Valley - gold and precious fabrics. Sunset is perhaps the best time to enjoy Amman, as the white buildings of the city seem to glow in the fading warmth of the day. At night, shops stay open late and Jordanians browse the bazaars before relaxing in cafes where backgammon, chess and cards are played as hubbly-bubblies are smoked. 
Amman is home to some of the grandest mosques in the Middle East. Amman’s noteworthy historical sites are clustered in the downtown area, which sits at the bottom of four of Amman’s seven hills, or jabals. The ancient Citadel, which towers above the city from atop Jabal al-Qala’a, is a good place to begin a tour of the city. The Citadel is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon, and excavations here have revealed numerous Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic remains.
Downhill from the Citadel and five minutes walk east from downtown… the Roman Theater is the most obvious and impressive relic of ancient Philadelphia. The theater, which was built during the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161 CE), is cut into the northern side of a hill that once served as a necropolis—or graveyard. It is very similar in design to the amphitheater at Jerash, and can accommodate 6000 spectators. The theater is still used periodically for sporting and cultural events. 
Two small museums are built into the foundations of the Roman Theater. The Jordan Folklore Museum is in the right wing of the theater and displays a collection of items showing the traditional life of local people. At the other end of the theater stage, the Museum of Popular Traditions displays traditional Jordanian costumes, including fine embroidery and beautiful antique jewelry.
At the heart of downtown is the Ottoman-style King Hussein Mosque, around which the buzz and bustle is at its most interesting. Even busier at prayer times, the surrounding streets are filled with the essence of Arabia, with exotic smells and rows of glittering treasures in the souq (market) amid the noise of frenetic haggling. 
Jerash, Situated about 31 miles (50km) north of Amman is one of the top attractions in Jordan. The ancient city of Jerash is considered to be one of the best preserved Roman sites in the world. Its exceptional state of preservation is due to the fact that it was buried in sand for centuries and the magnificent baths, theatres, temples, arches, columns and stone chariot-rutted streets have long attracted scholars and tourists from across the world to admire the most complete city in the Roman Decapolis.
Amman offers a variety of historical sites and modern facilities that is complemented by wonderfully gracious and welcoming people. Worldroom City Guide: Amman Amman Weather: | |||
