Sightseeing in Amman - what to see. Complete travel guide

Amman is an amazingly attractive city, which harmoniously combines old traditions of the antiquity and modern lifestyle. The history of this city has started over ten thousand years ago. At that time this place was known as Rabat Amon and was the capital city of Amon princedom. A bit later the city was conquered and ruled by the Romans and Amman was considered the territory of Palestine, and then a part of the Byzantine Empire. The Arabians conquered Amman in the beginning of the 7th century and for a long time after this the city was in recession. Only in the 16th century Amman started showing some signs of economic and political growth.
Safeway trading center is one of the most popular shopping places in Amman. It features dozens of clothing and footwear stores. You can buy elegant evening dresses, business and designer … Open
The 20th century is often called the period of prosperity of this region, as during this time the city attracts thousands of travellers, who are eager to see the unique sights and sacred places of Amman. Ballad district is one of historic regions of Amman. Here you can see an ancient Citadel, which is built on a hill. The ruins of Hercules temple are located nearby. Walk down the hill and you will see the Roman amphitheater, which is now used as a building for the Jordan Folklore Museum. The halls of this museum store large collections of traditional costumes, household devices, and musical instruments. Almost next to the amphitheater is located another cultural sight – the Jordan Museum of National Traditions. The museum exhibits a rare collection of mosaics brought to the museum from Madaba and Jerash.
The local Archeological Museum is a great place to find many interesting facts about the life of first citizens of Amman and see valuable artifacts from that era. The Governor’s Palace is one of the most notable sights from the Byzantine Empire times. This luxury building is also located in the old part of the city. All modern districts are traditionally called “Western Amman” and this part of the city may attract tourists with its market square, which is often used to hold trade fairs and interesting performances. Here are also located several restaurants, interesting shops and souvenir outlets. This is also the best place for evening walks. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
In Amman for tourists with children, too, has been prepared a lot of interesting entertainment. The city has a wonderful Children's Museum. Its opening took place in 2007. In the original … Open
In Amman you can see some beautiful mosques, one of which is considered to be King Abdullah Mosque. This one was built in 1989, and it impresses visitors with its big scale; its walls it can accommodate up to 10,000 worshipers at once. Today there are 2 museums operating in the mosque - the Royal Museum and the Museum of Islam. King Abdullah’s Mosque is a popular tourist destination also because of the fact that it is the only mosque in the city, which is open for visitors of any religion. 
For those fond of unusual attractions, it is certainly worth visiting the Royal Automobile Museum. King Huseyn loved beautiful cars, and he managed to collect an impressive amount of them, which today can be seen by everyone. The museum features more than 70 models of cars and motorcycles, and among the exhibits presented here there are quite a few older rare models. Visitors to the museum will be happy to learn that it is possible to even sit down and take pictures in some of the cars presented. 
Amman cuisine is somewhat like the Palestinian and Lebanese ones. The local restaurants are full of various dishes that are usually served in Syrian or Arab restaurants. Shawarma is one of … Open
In the near vicinity of the city many interesting ancient attractions are present, among which Ahl al Kahf necropolis deserves special attention. For local residents it remains a sacred place, the necropolis was founded in ancient caves. A lot of curious stories are connected with it, and many interesting artefacts were found during the archaeological research. 
Azure & Cobalt For those who love nature, sights worth visiting are located in the immediate vicinity of the city - in the Mujib Nature Reserve. It was founded in 1987 and occupies the valley of Wadi Mujib and the nearby territory. In the reserve there are over 400 species of plants, including some rare ones. The reserve has become home to more than 10 kinds of animals and there are more than 150 species of birds too. 
Residents of Amman are very welcoming and friendly. They follow various interesting customs, many of which have religious significance. For example, the left hand is considered "unclean", so … Open
A fascinating Numismatic Museum is also there in Amman, where you can see more than 2200 coins from various periods of time. According to historical data, the first coin in the Middle East was made back in the 4th century BC; today ancient Nabataean coins in the museum may be seen, as well as the types of coins related to the early Arab-Islamic period.
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City tours, excursions and tickets in Amman and surroundings

Reference information
Map of all castles
Survived castles around Amman
♥   Castle 'Rabadh Castle' , 46 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Qasr Kharana' , 55.7 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Qasr Amra' , 63.9 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Shmemis' , 81 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Citadel of Bosra' , 81.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all parks
National and city parks around Amman
♥   National Park 'Hare Yehuda' , 73.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Gan Hashlosha' , 77.1 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Aqwa Bella' , 78 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Mezada (Harhava)' , 89.3 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Migdal Zedeq' , 93.3 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all art museums
Art galleries in Amman and around
♥   Art museum 'Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts' Amman, 1.9 km from the center. On the map   Photo

Sights around Amman from our guide 'Extreme places on Earth'

Church of the Resurrection of Christ

From the series “The Most Astonishing Orthodox Churches”
The Anointing Stone and a small cave with the Holy Sepulcher. Every year the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch. Today the main Christian cathedral is a complex religious place that includes several chapels and monasteries. It is important to mention that the cathedral is oriented on three main religion confessions. That’s why its territory is strictly divided. … Read further

Church of Holy Sepulchre

From the series “ Survived Artifacts of Early Christian Civilization”
The temple features incredibly amazing design. There you can see old icons and artistic painting, which are hundreds of years old. The initiators of the construction of the first temple were the Emperor Constantine and Empress Helen. During more than 16 centuries, the temple has being totally destroyed and rebuilt again. Every year the church is visited by a huge number of pilgrims from around the world. They bow at the shrine and make one of the most important rituals in the Christian religion - climb to Calvary. The staircase leading to its top begins in the temple. … Read further

Wailing Wall

From the series “The Surviving Artifacts of Jewish Civilization”
The Wailing Wall is one of the holy places, to which adherents of other religions are admitted. The only thing that pilgrims have to remember is that they need to wear long-sleeve clothes and a hat. Men approach the wall to the left, and the women go right. That’s also an old tradition. Those who are not prepared to visit shrines in advance, don’t have to worry. Next to the wall, there are special rental shops, where you can get all necessary clothing and hats. A huge area, located in front of the Wailing Wall, has long been a venue for the most important national and religious events. … Read further

Sightseeing in Jordan: things to see

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. … Open
Car rental on OrangeSmile.com Rentals in Amman

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Sightseeing in regions nearby Amman

All about Amman, Jordan - sightseeings, attractions, touristic spots, architecture, history, culture and cuisine. Prepare your trip together with OrangeSmile.com - find out the 'must see' things in Amman, which places to visit, which excursions to take, where the breathtaking views are waiting for you. Planning your trip with this travel guide will help your to get the most out of Amman in few days.