I'll start out with a bit of history/information about Amman before getting into what I was able to see today.
Amman started out on seven hills called Jabals (now over twenty Jabals as Amman continues to grow and spread out) and they each define a neighborhood. It is also described in reference to eight circles which form the backbone of the city. The first circle is located near downtown and extends westward through the eighth circle.
Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. An excavation from 1994 uncovered homes believed to have been built during the Stone Age (7000 BCE). The city's first name was Rabbath-Ammon and was later renamed Philadelphia after the Ptolemaic ruler Philadelphus in the third century BCE. The city became part of a loose alliance called the Decapolis League (ten Roman-ruled cities including Jerash, Gadera, Pella, Arbilla and others. Philadelphia was constructed and re planned in typical Roman grandeur. The city returned to its Semitic origin of Ammon or Amman sometime after 635 and remained a major stop on the caravan routes.
Jordan is 90% Muslin and 10% Christian. Sufian said that they all get along - they work together, live next door to each other etc. Many women work outside the household and can hold any job they desire - attorney, doctor, teacher - whatever. Retirement age is about 64 years old. Medical is both government provided (for the people who cannot afford it) and private. Most people do not have air conditioning because of the high costs - they just use fans. Don't know how the heck they do that!!!! And traffic here is horrendous ALL DAY LONG. The only roads with any kind of lane markings are the major freeways. Everything else is a free for all. Winding, very steep roads everywhere. No way this old lady could walk this city!!
On to the sites and photo ops!
Today was my first full day in Amman. After a great breakfast overlooking the pool, my driver Sufian Khalil arrived at 9:00 and we headed off to see the sites. First stop was the Citadel, which overlooks the downtown area atop Jabal al-Qala'a. This is considered the remains of Rabbath-Ammon. I was told that archeologists through Brown University in the US are helping to uncover and piece together the various buildings believed to have been part of the fort. In the complex are the remains of the Byzantine basilica, Great Temple of Amman, Temple of Hercules and the Archeological Museum.
Stop two was the huge Roman Theater, a relic of ancient Philadelphia. It was built during the reign of Antonius Pius. It is cut into a hill which used to serve as a graveyard. I thought I'd be able to walk to the top, but no can do. It is so high and so steep that I wasn't about to try it. It holds approximately 6,000 people. It has two museums - the Folklore and Popular Traditions. Sufian said they used to hold concerts etc here but because of the traffic and constant noise, they moved them to Jerash, which I'll see later in the week.
The Abu Darwish mosque was the next stop. It is very unique in that it is built with black and white stone blocks. It was built in 1961 on top of one of Amman's seven hills, Jebel al-Ashrafiyeh. Its alternating black and white stones draw on traditional Levantine architecture. The mosque is visible from other hills around Amman and non-Muslims are not allowed inside.
The Nymphaeum is presently being restored so it was dodging traffic to cross the street and take photos through the fence. Come to think of it, I never saw a crosswalk today - people (me included) just started walking out into traffic holding the hand up for cars to stop. I guess I'm lucky I'm not road kill!!
The King Abdullah 1 Mosque I actually got to go in and see. First I had to put on a long dress with a hood even though I already Had on a long skirt and long-sleeved short. Oh well, it was big but nothing special. The best part was the gift shop as you leave. I found my Rababa (square banjo-type musical instrument) and the owner, along with the help of my driver Sufian, arranged for me to purchase a silver necklace with my name in Arabic.
Next was the umbrella art installation nex to Zajal, where we had lunch on the balcony overlooking the gold souks. It was great people watching and great food.
I got to see next the Beverly Hills of Amman - West Amman. Large homes, wide streets, expensive vehicles. Each home is surrounded by a large stone wall. One funny thing was as we were leaving West Amman we came upon a sign that said "no photos." Sufian said do you know what that sign is for? I automatically said "it must be for the U.S. Embassy." Sure enough it was for our embassy. Large tank-like vehicles at each corner and one in the center of the compound. I must admit it is the prettiest embassy for the U.S. that I've seen and quite large. Lastly for the day, we headed back to the King Abdullah 1 Mosque to pick up my necklace. I am pooped but so excited for the rest of the trip.