The territory of Jordan is home to tenths of thousands of historic monuments, great sanctuaries and pilgrim places. The city of Amman is both cultural and administrative centre of the country. First settlers appeared on the territory of Amman 10 thousand years ago. Amman Citadel is one of main sights of Jordan. The beautiful ancient building is located in the centre of the capital’s downtown. Nearby you will see ruins of ancient fortresses and protective walls. Other important sights of the area include the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad Palace and a Byzantine Church built in the 6th century.
This part of the Jordan capital is a true paradise for scientists and historians as simply every centimetre of the holy land has great historic value. Artefacts found in the downtown are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum. Opened more than 60 years ago, the museum constantly gets new items that were found during excavations. The most famous cultural museums of the city are the Folklore Museum, the Museum of Coins, Jordan Museum of National Traditions and the Museum of Royal Cars. King Abdullah Mosque is an important religious sight. Even though this is a relatively young building, it is named in the list of most important shrines.
There are several interesting cities in Amman suburbs, and each of them has its own places of interest. The city of Salt is a fascinating place famous for its quality crafts, magnificent old buildings and museums. Skilled masters make clay vases, do detailed embroidery and make other pretty souvenirs right in front of amazed tourists.
Madaba is the location of an interesting landmark – St. George’s Church that was built in the end of the 19th century. The church keeps a priceless relic, a giant panel that is named “the map of the Holy Land”. The mosaic is 25 x 25m large and is considered one of the most precious items found in Amman. Other landmarks include The Head of St. John’s Cathedral, the Church of the Apostils, St. Elijah Church and Cardo Maximus Colonnade.
The city of Jerash is famous for its magnificent triumphal arcs, churches and other cultural facilities. Make sure you include a visit to such famous places as the Oval Square, Artemis Temple, the Glass Palace, the Temple of Zeus, St. Marian’s Church and the ruins of Atrium Mosque to your excursion program. There are also several museums in the city, with the Museum of Archaeology being the most visited one.
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Cities and sights of Jordan