Amman was never really on my bucket list, but when I booked my trip to Jordan I knew I couldn’t skip its capital city. I spent one day in Amman and was actually pleasantly surprised about what this vivid city had to offer. It isn’t really known for its famous monuments, so I had no idea where to go. But after doing some research and spending some time in the city I discovered some cool places to visit.

One day in Amman, the capital of Jordan

Like in many cities you’ve got an old town center and a more modern part. I decided to visit the old town first, since this is usually the most interesting part. I stayed at the House Boutique Suites Hotel about 500m from Rainbow Street, the perfect location to start my day. Before you start, make sure to wear your comfortable shoes and to stretch your legs, because Amman is a city built on hills! Another tip: make sure to buy a Jordan Pass. This will give you free entry to all the monuments mentioned in this article.

Rainbow Street

This street is known for its many boutiques, but especially for the wide range of shisha bars, restaurants, snack bars and ice cream parlors. It’s a fun street to walk through, especially in the evening when it comes more to life.
At Fawzi Al-Maalouf Street, a side street there should be a souk, but it was closed when I was there.

Grand Husseini Mosque

When you continue your way down you’ll arrive at the old city center. The first thing I saw was the Grand Husseini Mosque. Unfortunately you can’t enter this mosque. So you just have to admire it from outside.

Souk

Don’t forget to visit the souk right next to the mosque to experience the local market life.

Roman Nymphaeum

When you leave the souk at its northeast side (Khalil As Saoud Street) you’ll see the Roman Nymphaeum right across the street. This used to be a Roman public fountain. It’s free of charge to visit.

Roman Theatre

Amman’s Roman Theatre is the biggest antique theatre of Jordan. It dates back from the Roman period when Amman was still called Philadelphia. The theatre is in striking contrast with the modern Hashemite Plaza. Across the road there’s a good restaurant named “Bayet Al Qaseed” with a terrace offering a great view on the theatre. I had a delicious dinner there the night before at a very small price.

The Amman Citadel

After visiting the Roman Theatre you can cross the street and take the stairs up to the Citadel. You can explore quite a few monuments on this hill. It was my favorite part of Amman! The hill offers a 360 view of the city.

The Temple of Hercules

This temple was constructed during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The great temple is larger than any you can find in Rome. Unfortunately only two giant standing pillars remain. Due to the absence of columns on the rest of the structure, the excavator believes that the temple was actually never finished. Besides the few remains of the temple also three gigantic fingers and one elbow in marmer were found. Likely they come from a massive statue of Hercules that probably got destroyed during one of the many destructive earthquakes the region has known through history. It’s still a mystery where the other remains of the statue are.

Umayyad Palace Complex

This complex was built by the Umayyads over the remains of the original Roman construction. It was an administrative centre and the governor’s residence. It has three main areas: an open space for gathering people with a large water cistern, a decorated audience hall and nine independent buildings that were the central part of the palace. Only ruins are left of them, but the foundations are still clearly visible! Just outside the complex also a mosque was built.

My one day in Amman continued with exploring some traditional shopping streets and lunch at Rainbow Street on the way back to the hotel. I recommend Fatatri restaurant to taste the Egyptian Feteer! It is delicious and they have a great terrace to catch some sun. After lunch I decided to take the rental car and explore the more modern part of Amman.

King Abdullah I Mosque

The first stop in the afternoon was the King Abdullah I Mosque. This blue-domed architecural gem is a very notable landmark of Amman’s skyline. It is the only mosque in Amman that welcomes non-Muslim visitors. You need to wear an abaya and a headscarf and then you are free to explore.

Abdali Mall

For those who love to shop the Abdali Mall is the place to be. They even have a tax free shop! You can find all the big concept stores here.

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