Aerial view of a city with many densely built houses on hills and in valleys. In the centre of the picture is a large ancient amphitheatre. The buildings have a rather uniform, sand-coloured style. Modern roads and transport routes can be seen winding through the city.
Aerial view of a city with many densely built houses on hills and in valleys. In the centre of the picture is a large ancient amphitheatre. The buildings have a rather uniform, sand-coloured style. Modern roads and transport routes can be seen winding through the city.

Amman in Jordan – the white city

Published: 12 September 2024, 09:00

A sea of white houses on 19 hills, nestled between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley: Amman presents itself as a modern metropolis that has retained its traditional image to this day. Arab culture blends with a Western lifestyle in Jordan’s capital. Old souks in the historic centre, selling spices, handicrafts and carpets, are just as much part of Amman’s fabric as modern galleries, good restaurants and trendy shops. The trendy neighbourhood around Rainbow Street attracts young people in particular. A visit to the citadel hill Jabal al-Qalaa, which is considered one of the most important historical sites in Amman, and the Roman Theatre, feels like a journey back in time. The King Abdullah Mosque and the King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque, decorated with beautiful mosaic tiles, are particularly worth a visit. The two largest mosques in Jordan offer more than 10,000 worshippers a place to pray. Amman is located in the north of the country, a good hour's drive from the Dead Sea, and is an ideal starting point for discovering the Kingdom of Jordan and its treasures.

Numbers, data, facts

  • Time difference: + one hour
  • Population: 4.8 million
  • Official language: Arabic
  • Currency: Jordanian dinar (JOD)

The top 5 sights

View of a semi-circular amphitheatre with three tiers located directly on the hill. Behind it is the sea of houses in the city centre. In front of it is a deserted square surrounded by green trees.
Festivals and concerts are still held in the Roman theatre, which is more than 2,000 years old. Some 6,000 people can sit here and listen to the music. © Cristi/stock.adobe.com
The picture shows an archaeological excavation site with the ruins and temple columns taking centre stage. The densely built-up city stretches out in the background on two hills.
Not far from the Roman theatre, the historic citadel hill Jabal al-Qalaa, with ancient ruins and a fantastic view, rises over the city. © Hamdan Yoshida/stock.adobe.com
View of a very large mosque with a blue dome and two towering minarets. In the foreground are large, light-coloured buildings. In the background a densely built-up sea of houses.
Architectural jewel: The King Abdullah Mosque with its blue dome is visible from afar. Built in the 1980s, the mosque is one of Amman’s landmarks. © kravka/stock.adobe.com
View of a white wall with four towers in each corner that serve as minarets, each topped by a dome. In the picture, the mosque is not visible behind it. A wide staircase leads up to the complex, with flowers and trees left and right.
The King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque, the largest mosque in the kingdom, was built in 2005 in a park at an altitude of 1,013 metres in West Amman. © popovatetiana/stock.adobe.com
View from above a densely built-up city with beige to sand-coloured houses and a road winding through the city on the right. A huge Jordanian flag rising into the cloudy sky can be seen on the right of the picture.
Shops, cafés, restaurants and markets line up seamlessly in the old town of Al Balad. If you need souvenirs, this is the place to be. © Nayef Hammouri/Wirestock/stock.adobe.com

Discover the Kingdom of Jordan

Whether visiting the ancient rock city of Petra, marvelling at the bizarre rock formations in Wadi Rum or simply relaxing by the Dead Sea or the Red Sea - the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan offers a wealth of experiences for culture and nature enthusiasts. The larger cities such as Amman and Madaba have an oriental flair that forms a fascinating contrast to the modern lifestyle. Jordan impresses with both the hospitality of its locals and the diversity of its landscapes. Lovers of the underwater world will get their money’s worth in Aqaba on the Red Sea. Drinking tea with the Bedouins, observing the starry sky in the desert or a wellness programme in a traditional hammam should definitely be part of a visit to Jordan.

Jordan – a fascinating holiday destination

View of a turquoise-blue lake surrounded by a barren, rocky, desert-like shore with hills. Salty deposits can be seen on the shore. On the right of the picture, a high headland protrudes into the water with trees growing on it.
Floating weightlessly on the surface: This is possible in the Dead Sea, which, with a salt content of 33% and depth of 398 metres, is the deepest point on earth. © tracker/stock.adobe.com
View of an extensive rock city with a wide path running through it. Stone-carved facades can be seen in some of the rocks. The part of the town on the left of the picture is in the shade, the rocks appear pink in colour. The part on the right is illuminated by the sun, the rocks appear yellow to brownish in colour. The sky is blue and slightly cloudy.
One of the seven wonders of the modern world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the ancient rock city of Petra was built more than 2,000 years ago along the Silk Road. © anahtiris/stock.adobe.com
View of a bizarrely shaped rock formation made of red sandstone, which is part of a rocky desert landscape with mountains. The rock gives the appearance of a kind of arch, creating an opening.
Experience it on a camel or from a jeep: Wadi Rum, Jordan’s largest wadi, enchants with its bizarre desert wilderness of reddish sandstone. © EyesTravelling/stock.adobe.com
View from above a mosque with two golden yellow domes and two minarets in the centre of a densely built-up city. The sea of houses continues to the horizon.
Madaba, the city of mosaics, is located south of Amman and is even recorded in the Bible. It owes its nickname to the numerous mosaics from early Christian times. © Alexeiy/stock.adobe.com
Photo of a coral reef swarming with many small, colourful fish. The water is very clear, the seabed is recognisable.
An underwater paradise: diving and snorkelling in the Red Sea from the coastal town of Aqaba in the very south of Jordan. © marketanovatkova/stock.adobe.com

Amman from BER

Flugzeug kurz vor dem Aufsetzen auf die Start- und Landebahn

Royal Jordanian (from 2nd October 2024)

 

Piktogramm Info-i

Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)

Five tips for …

1. The Roman settlement of Jerash with its temple and amphitheatre

2. The desert castles Qasr Azraq and Qasr Amra

3. The castle of Ajloun from the 12th century

4. The archaeological site of Umm er-Rasas (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

5. The 808-metre-high Mount Nebo with a view of the Dead Sea

1. Diving in the Red Sea near Aqaba

2. Drifting in the Red Sea

3. Walk through the desert landscape of Wadi Rum

4. Relax in the Ma’In Hot Springs

5. Hike through the green Dana National Park

1. Favourite starters: hummus, falafel and tabbouleh

2. National dish Mansaf: rice with nuts, dried fruit and lamb

3. Grilled meat on skewers: Shish kebab and shish tavuk

4. Sweet desert Karufa: dough pancakes with nuts

5. Popular drink: sweet tea with fresh mint

Picture Source title:
© Cristi/stock.adobe.com

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