Explore Amman in 20 Beautiful Photos

Amman Citadel
Amman Citadel | Mo'taz Sulaiman / © Culture Trip
Abby Narishkin

Often seen as a mere jumping off point for other Jordanian sites like Petra, the capital city of Amman has plenty of sites, side streets and soul to render it worthy of a few days of exploration. Take a trip through Amman in these stunning photos.

As far as Middle Eastern cities go, Amman is quite young. While it did serve as an important trade center under the name Philadelphia during the Hellenistic period, Amman was all but forgotten under Islamic rule. It wasn’t until the last century that the city made a name for itself as a cultural center.

View from Jabal Amman

In the 1920s, Amman was named the capital of Jordan, and in the 1940s and 1960s, it became a safe haven for Iraqi, Palestinian and Syrian refugees.

Jabal Al Wiebdeh
Downtown

The tolerance and grittiness of Amman have made it an oasis of both modernism and traditionalism.

Roman Amphitheater
Amman Downtown streets

To the west is modern Amman. With its elegant villas, ritzy hotels and steel high-rises, the neighborhood is determined to imitate the luxury of Dubai. But to the east, centered around downtown, is Amman’s crowning joy: the pulsating heart of the old city.

Downtown
Za’amta

Here, winding neighborhoods of white, and box homes hug the rolling hills.

Jabal Amman

And make for breathtaking views of the city below.

Stairs to downtown
Roman Amphitheater

Quirky street art and vibrant markets remind wanderers of the deep culture engrained in this architectural labyrinth.

Downtown
Istiklal
lwiebdeh to Abdali

But no Middle Eastern city would be complete without a nod to the past, and despite its youth, Amman proudly embraces its rich history.

Za’amta

Visitors can walk through remnants of Biblical and Roman times while searching for the scars of its fall under the Ottomans.

Roman Amphitheater
Temple of Hercules
Temple of Hercules

So, on your next trip to Amman, postpone your bus to Petra and stay for a while. Walk the souqs, sip some Arabian coffee and breathe in the city whose storied past, shining culture and tolerant people make it a diamond in the rough.

Downtown souvenirs
Roman Amphitheater
Amman Citadel

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