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Discover the incredible fusion of past and present in the capital of Jordan, shaped by millennia of different settlers. Amman is a vibrant mix of diverse souks, cuisine, and neighborhoods, offering a captivating blend of history and modernity.
Published December 10, 2023
14 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK)
The skyline of Amman looks a bit like a game of Tetris. From the top of the Bronze Age Citadel, the city’s highest point, the view seemingly comprises tiny blocks of tightly compacted, limestone houses strewn with washing, topped with water tanks and interspersed with the odd cypress tree. The clear blue sky is occasionally pierced by one of the city’s many minarets. The soundtrack, a cacophony of traffic and car horns honking from the streets below, is soothed by the echoes of the call to prayer.
Broadly speaking, the Jordanian capital is divided into two parts; the affluent, modern west, home to the city’s upmarket hotels, rooftop bars and restaurants, and the more traditional east, with its older buildings on winding streets, where you’ll find most working-class Jordanians. Juxtaposition is something Amman delivers in droves. For every chaotic souk, there’s a plush multi-storey shopping mall. For every hole-in-the-wall knafeh (sweet cheese dessert) joint, there’s also a fit-for-royalty fine-dining spot.
It’s a relatively small city, so new developments like the US$300m (£250m) commercial complex, The Boulevard, are never too far from, say, a 2,000-year-old Roman theatre. In Jabal al-Lweibdeh, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, ancient and modern are synchronous. It’s Amman’s center of cool: calm, devoid of crowds, dotted with art galleries, colorful street art and quirky coffee shops, and frequented by some of the city’s most creative, progressive minds. It feels worlds away from the adjacent chaotic downtown area, jam-packed with narrow alleys and deafening souks, where pedestrians serpent between back-to-back cars on the mighty King Talal Street.
Modern Amman is lively, tolerant and relatively unaffected by the political unrest that’s been unfurling in its neighboring countries for decades. Just over four million people — mostly Jordanians as well as refugees from Syria, Palestine and Iraq — call this city home, creating a mosaic of cultures that can be found in its art, cuisines, religions and voices. This kaleidoscope of influences is nothing new. Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and, to name but a few, the Nabateans, Greeks, Romans, Umayyads and Ottomans have all contributed to the make up of this fascinating Middle Eastern metropolis. Much like a successful game of Tetris, all those pieces seem to just slot perfectly into place.
Where to shop
1. King Faisal Street
This grand throughfare in downtown Amman is jam-packed with shops selling everything from knick-knacks and colorful mosaics to traditional and everyday garments. Just off King Faisal Street you’ll find the Gold Souk, which is home to dozens of specialist jewelry stores offering high-quality gold by weight.