Pierre-Brice Lebrun - 2010-02-23

For a long time Amman was known as Philadelphia, complying with the wishes of Pharaoh Ptolomey II (309 to 246 BC): this was during the the respective eras of the Nabatean, Greek and Roman civilisations. Under the latter it was part of the Decapolis, an alliance of the ten most powerful towns of the Middle East 200 years BC.

 

The Ghassanids (220-638 CE), a tribe of Aramiac speaking Christian Arabs, renamed it Amman as it had been the capital of the Ammonite Kingdom, the biblical people of Lot’s sons. In 1161 the Citadel was occupied by the Crusaders and five years later it returned to the Templars. From 1921 onwards, it has been the capital of Jordan - an independent state since 25^th May 1946. 

 

 

The Citadel hill overhangs the town of Amman. Although known as a Citadel, it isn’t a real one, despite having a fortified square for thousands of years. Behind its 1700 metre surrounding wall is the Omayyad Palace, a Byzantine basilica, the Roman temple of Hercules constructed by Marcus Aurelius (121-180 CE), and the slightly disappointing National Archaeological Museum.

 

It’s a pleasure just to wander around the site of the Citadel, ambling along alleyways of columns and around the ramparts, walking in the footsteps of Knights and entering the open air nave. But the main interest of this place is. without doubt, the view it offers over this sprawling capital of the Hashemite kingdom.

 

From this vantage point you can observe the disorderly stacks of grey, square-ish houses built along the slopes that resemble toy building blocks scattered around by a child having a temper tantrum. The roads show no sign of any coherent planning, seemingly having to find their own way of adapting to the chaos, picking their way out unassisted. They continually climb and fall, weaving their way in and out of the constructions, building sites and mosques. Although a straight line is generally considered to offer the shortest route from one point to another, there is clearly no place for them in Amman.

 

A sense of direction is a rambler’s and driver’s best friend here. As is the Royal Building which houses the Royal Hotel. This is one of the most imposing buildings in Amman but this doesn't prevent it from disappearing from view at the whim of all the slopes and bends. Amman was formerly built on 7 hills known as Jebel, but nowadays it covers 19.

 

High up here in the Citadel, the noises of the city are stifled by the wind and the heavy heat abates the urban activity like a lid. Calmness reigns supreme but the sun beats down relentlessly. There are a few car horns but you end up taking no notice of these. Drivers in Amman sound their horns and then drive off when the traffic lights change to green. We asked a taxi driver why they did this. He didn’t know but, nevertheless, automatically sounded his horn, with all his might.

 

When the sun sets in the evening at least one hundred minarets light up. Every district has its mosque, the only touch of colour in very uniform surroundings, along with a few advertising hoardings, a few portraits of King Abdallah and a multitude of yellow taxis which hurry around like an army of ants.

 

It has to be said that Amman is not an attractive town, but simply a disordered and dusty amalgam of little concrete houses and blocks of flats with tinted glass, surrounded and shot through with highways and interchanges.

Tourists often neglect it. However its central location is ideal for visiting the northern half of the country which is exceptionally beautiful. Jerash, the desert castles road, the Dead Sea, Madaba and Mount Nebo are all just a few miles away...

 

 

Ok so we have to go back down. We cross a treeless park and a grassless lawn to take a pavement-less road that winds around the entire hillside several times. No short cuts can be found. We try to make it to the Roman theatre. The locals greet us, unused to seeing Europeans go past their windows particularly on foot, in what is a very working class district. One man strikes up conversation in English. He vaguely points out the road we have to take but he’s not too sure: “I only ever go there by car!" He offers to give us a lift; our refusal amuses him. We tell him where our hotel is: “You are going to walk there?” He thinks we’re crazy and bursts out laughing. A child on a bicycle, who hasn’t heard our conversation, mimics him like an echo from the other side of the street.

 

After an hour of walking we arrive at the theatre by descending a stairway cutting through two housing blocks, upon which a gang of kids are playing. Our passing through seems to amuse them greatly. It’s said that the theatre’s terraces can hold 6,000 spectators. It was built between 138 and 161CE under the orders of the Emperor Antoninus Pius (86-161CE) who came from Nîmes and was the adopting father of Marcus Aurelius.

 

An old Bedouin, on the lookout for tourists, is absolutely set on showing something to us. He gets up on the stage, stands in the centre at a strategic point, and whispers a song which penetrates the space. It bounces off every wall as if he has bellowed it out loud. Then, seeing our stunned expressions, he bursts out laughing.

 

 

The Roman Theatre is not in the safest part of the town. Surrounding it, as far as the eye can see, there is a Palestinian refugee camp. We’re told that it’s best not to hang around this area in the evening. But this is somewhat surprising as Amman is a safe town where tourists doesn't run the risks usually associated with a city with a population of 2.5 million people and where Iraqi and Palestinian refugees live in a very precarious state.

 

This is a good place for eating. At lunch, outside on a terrace, you can have a shawarma with raw vegetables and lots of hummus. It’s best to wait until you get to Petra to discover typically Jordanian gastronomy, which is actually Bedouin, and dishes such as mensaff and goat magluba. The Bedouins gladly serve made-to-order evening meals in the heart of Small Petra, an outlying district of the Nabatean site that few tourists are aware of.

 

Surrounding the theatre is the town centre with its taxis that will take you everywhere for a small fee, its buses, trucks, souks and its huge variety of shops where you can buy anything from high technology to red Bedouin Kaffiyehs, poultry to Japanese 4 wheel drives, second hand computers to truck carburettors. It can be difficult to walk along the clogged up pavements overflowing with all kinds of merchandise. Sitting at a salon terrace drinking tea, watching the town bustle by is much more pleasant...

 

 

After an animated debate about the right road to take, we head back up towards Jebel Amman, the hotel and embassy district which also has nightlife. Around 9pm the bars, clubs and restaurants frequented by the young well to do and expatriates start to liven up. Here, you can smoke waterpipes and listen to music. Some places serve alcohol or are open to a discreet homosexual community.

 

On the pavement, a multicoloured parrot chatters away and acts as a mascot for a bird shop. He heckles us with a sharp cry before presenting a photographer with his best side.

 

To the left, as if held up on stilts is 'Wild Jordan', an ecological café restaurant which offers light meals, exhibitions and information on the Jordanian National Parks (one of which, Dana, is classed as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO and is not to be missed.)

 

We pass by the Books@Café, a bookshop cum cybercafé, bar and restaurant. Our feet are now starting to hurt a little. We’ve been walking through the town for six hours now. Fortunately, at the 2^nd Circle, we find 'Reem’ which serves the country’s best kebabs and shawarmas for less than £2. It’s enough to revitalise us. You can find it easily by the long queues during both day and night time. They say that the King, himself, sometimes comes here on the quiet. This is not as surprising as it sounds. A few days before, in the Mecca Mall shopping centre (195,000 m² for 350 shops, including Miles supermarket, which is extremely European), we came across a smiling Queen Rania as she shopped, accompanied by just one bodyguard.

 

The muezzin’s song rings out as night falls. The hotel is not too far now - just a little beyond the 3^rd Circle which serves as a reference point. The calm and the greenery of the residential districts put an end to the agitation of the treeless town centre. Kebab in hand, we stride forward, drawn by the lure of tea served on the hotel terrace.

 

 

Situated in the tranquil district of the Embassies (Jebel Amman). From £55.

 

Amman has dozens of hotels ranging from places for budget travellers to five star luxury establishments. Nearly all of them are listed on the Jordan Hotels Association website (www.johotels.org).

 

Al-Amir Mohammed Street

This is a popular institution offering local cuisine (hummus, falafel, fuul dishes and excellent mint tea.) Under £5.

 

Jebel Amman, 2^nd Circle

Jordan's best kebabs and shawarmas served 24 hours a day.

 

Jebel Amman, 2nd Circle

Lebanese Cuisine which is quite similar to Jordanian cooking. From £8 to £18.

 

Shatt al-Arab Street

Um Uthaina

Lebanese Cuisine. From £8 to £18. Try to get a place on the veranda.

 

Wasfi Al Tell Street

Tlaa al-Ali

Lebanese and traditional cooking; from £8 to £18 My personal favourite, with music and Bedouin tents in the garden.

 

Jebel Amman, 2nd Circle

Othman Bin Afann Street

From £4 to £14.

 

Jebel Amman, 1^st Circle

12, Omar Ibn Al Khattab Street

Bookshop, records, Internet, café and snacks. Under £10.

 

Jabri Cafeterias (Caterer and Pastries)

King Hussain Street (downtown), Khaled bin Al Waleed Street (Jebel Al Hussain), between the 5th circle and the 6th circle, Zahran (Jebel Amman)

Approximately £3.

 

 

There is an unusual way of finding out about the nation’s history, from 1916 onwards when the Hedjaz Kingdom which preceded the present state was created. Visit the Royal Automobile Museum, in the King Hussein Park, where the cars belonging to successive Kings show the important moments of Jordan’s history. www.royalautomuseum.jo

 

Did you know? The highest flying flag in the world is the Jordanian flag which flies high above the town at a height of 127 metres.