The Citadel
If a journey through history is what you’re looking for then the best place to start would be the Citadel. Located on a hill it gives visitors a glimpse into the evolution of Amman and provides stunning views of downtown Amman. Among the sites you can’t afford to miss at the Citadel are the Umayyad Palace complex, the Temple of Hercules and the Byzantine Church.
The Jordan Museum
The Jordan Museum is located in the dynamic new downtown area of Ras al-‘Ayn. Presenting the history and cultural heritage of Jordan in a series of beautifully designed galleries, The Jordan Museum serves as a comprehensive national center for learning and knowledge that reflects Jordan’s history and culture, and presents in an engaging yet educational way the Kingdom’s historic, antique and heritage property as part of the ongoing story of Jordan’s past, present, and future.
Contact information:
Website: jordanmuseum.jo
Telephone: 00962 6 462 9317
Location
Souq Jara
This summer street market in Jabal Amman is open on Fridays and includes stalls selling local wares, pop-up cafes, street food and live performances from local bands and musicians. If you’re in Amman during the summer, you can’t miss out on this family friendly activity!
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 79 787 8248
Social media: http://www.facebook.com/SoukJara
Location
Hijaz Railway Station
View the great collection of working steam locomotives, formerly used for as part of a pilgrimage route connecting the Ottoman Empire to Saudi Arabia and an intrinsic part of the Great Arab Revolt in 1918. For more of an in-depth look at the history of the station make sure to visit the onsite museum.
Contact information:
Website: jhr.gov.jo
Location
Darat Al-Funun
Jordanian, Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese families built the houses that form Darat al Funun. They are a living memory of the history of Jordan and the shared history of the Bilad al Sham. Darat al Funun today is an oasis for the arts overlooking the crowded downtown area of the old city of Amman. Along with visiting the Darat’s contemporary art exhibitions, many come to admire Amman’s traditional architecture, attend events in the archaeological site, read a book in their art library, or take a walk in the gardens.
Contact information/ how to book:
Website: daratalfunun.com
Location
Nabad Art Gallery
A contemporary art gallery based in Amman, Jordan, Nabad has been exhibiting and providing artworks by emerging and established artists from Jordan since 2008. In addition to seeking to promote Jordanian art, Nabad also showcases a number of artists from the wider Arab world and beyond, with a view to cultivating intercultural dialogue among artists and with the public.
Contact information/ how to book:
Website: nabadgallery.com
Location
Nymphaeum
Built in 191 AD, it was once a large two-story complex with fountains, mosaics, stone carvings and possibly a 600 square meter swimming pool.
Turquoise Mountain
Turquoise Mountain celebrates and protects heritage in Jordan, Syria, and elsewhere, transforming lives and supporting communities with jobs, skills, and opportunities.
In Jordan, Turquoise Mountain works with talented master artisans from across the region to revitalise traditional craft and produce beautiful heritage objects.
Visit the showroom on Rainbow Street to discover their collections.
Contact information:
@turquoisemountainjordan
Website: https://www.turquoisemountain.org/shop
Dar Al-Anda
Nestled at the cusp of ancient and contemporary history is a sanctuary of the senses that is Dar Al-Anda. The name is an authentically Arabic one. It best translates into “home of the giving“and therefore exemplifies what they stand for. Dar Al-Anda aims to enrich the lives of their patrons, employees and community by giving them the opportunity to experience art in all of its forms, thereby provoking thought and discourse.
Contact information:
Website: daralanda.com
Location
King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque
The King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque, named after the late King, is the largest mosque in the Kingdom. Its architecture reflects the Umayyad style prevalent in several sites in Jordan.
Location
Virtual Tour
Royal Film Commission
The Royal Film Commission is a committee that aims to develop the local production industry by encouraging Jordanians to use film and audio-visual media to express their original ideas. The commission also provides opportunities for audiences and filmmakers to get together, watch independent films, and exchange ideas in addition to supporting local and international movie productions in the Kingdom.
Contact information:
Website: film.jo
Location
Grand Husseini Mosque
The mosque was built by the late King Abdullah I in 1924 on the site of a much older mosque. It’s conveniently located downtown near the traditional souqs and street food vendors.
King Abdullah I Mosque
Built as a memorial by the Late King Hussein to his grandfather, the unmistakable blue-domed mosque can host up to 7000 worshippers inside and another 3000 in the courtyard area.
JoBedu
Jobedu is a local creative brand that sells clothing and other merchandise produced by local and regional designers. The brand embodies the essence of Jordanian humor and culture. While the store first began by selling t-shirts they have expanded their products to include sweaters, hoodies, posters and so much more.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 6 461 8144
Website: jobedu.com
Location
Jordanian Crafts Center
The association aims to develop, improve and promote the ancient traditions of local handicrafts. The association is located at Jabal Al Lweibdeh near the Paris Square, where the local women offer a wide variety of their local handcrafts made around the kingdom.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 6 464 4555
Website: jordancraftcenter.com
Location
National Gallery of Fine Arts
The National Gallery of Fine Arts is one of the most important art museums in Jordan, because it is contains some of the most important art collections from 60 countries with a highlight on local and regional artists. The museum's collection comprises of over a thousand pieces of art.
Contact information:
Telephone: 009624630128
Website: nationalgallery.org
Location
Rainbow Street
Rainbow Street is one of the oldest streets in Amman and has become a hub for local and international visitors. Lined with cafes, restaurants and a few art galleries sprinkled here and there the street is a must visit location in Amman for shopping, a night out or a simple meal.
Jordan River Foundation
Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, the Jordan River Foundation (JRF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1995 with a focus on child safety and community empowerment. Driven by values of social justice, impactful interventions to alleviate poverty, and socio-economic empowerment - focusing on women and youth, JRF implements various programs to achieve its mission of transforming Jordanian communities. The JRF Showroom located on Rainbow Street showcases products sourced from community empowerment projects supported by the foundation.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 6 461 2169
Website: jordanriver.jo
Location
Jadal
Jadal is located on Al-Kalha, one of the oldest staircases in Amman, in a house that dates back to 1933. It connects Downtown, the heart of Amman, and Jabal Al-Weibdeh, an area full of ambitious cultural projects and artistic initiatives. The project is a private non-profit initiative, providing an area in which cultural and intellectual activities are pursued in an attempt to create and share progressive societal concepts, cultures, and values.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 79 919 5993
Website: jadalculture.com
Location
Hashem Restaurant
Hashem Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in the country and is famous for its Hummus and Falafel. The restaurant has managed to maintain its standards for over forty years and there isn’t a single person in Amman who isn’t familiar with the location. Its downtown branch is usually full of visitors at any time of the day. The beauty of Hashem Restaurant is that locals and foreigners frequent this famous establishment.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 463 6440
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/Hashem.resturant/
Location
Habiba Sweets
Habiba is one the most famous places that serves Knafeh. It is considered a complimentary dessert to the hummus and falafel dishes at Hashem Restaurant nearby. The place is always packed full of people who stand in line waiting to get their share of the delicious ‘Nabulsi Kanafeh’. The dessert can be eaten in the courtyard near the restaurant or pre-ordered for large events and gatherings.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 6 462 3549
Social media: https://www.facebook.com/Habibahsweetsjo/
Location
Duke’s Diwan
A unique look into the architectural heritage of Amman, this home has been converted by its owner to a public space for artists and musicians. While the home’s initial purpose served as Amman’s first post office in the 1930s, the building was then transformed into a hotel and then into the creative space that it is now. It is truly a an immersive experience bringing visitors back through Amman’s history.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 6 477 5804
Location
Downtown markets – Souq Al-Sukar
Walk through this beautiful and busy downtown fruit and vegetable market where locals shop for their fresh produce.
Amman Design Week
Amman Design Week is an immersive experience in local and regional design and culture. Focused on creating a forum for learning, exchange and collaboration, this platform empowers designers through its comprehensive program of large-scale curated exhibitions, workshops, talks and events.
The 2019 edition of Amman Design Week will be held from the 4th until the 12th of October.
Contact information:
Website: ammandesignweek.com
Location
Museum of Parliamentary Life
This museum is housed in the old parliament building in Jabal Amman. The displays in the museum illustrate The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s political history in an amazing and engaging set-up.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 2 569 6218
Website: http://www.polm.gov.jo/
Location
Royal Automobile Museum
The Royal Automobile Museum was founded in 2003 under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II. The Royal Automobile Museum showcases an important part of Jordan's political history from an interesting perspective. The exhibits also reflect the history of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan through cars from the reign of King Abdullah I to the reign of King Abdullah II. More recently, it has included many non-Jordanian vehicles and bikes, such as a 19th-century bike, a Bugatti and other rare vehicles. One of the most important items of the museum is the Lincoln Cabri convertible, 1952 model, which was used by late King Hussein Bin Talal during his studies in England, and also during his crowning ceremony in May 1953.
Contact information:
Telephone: 00962 6 5411392
Location
The Children’s Museum
The Children’s Museum is a non-profit educational institution launched by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdallah in 2007. The Museum is spread over 8000 m2 of more than over 180 indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits and educational facilities, such as the Library, Art Studio, Tinker Lab and Secret Garden, along with year-round educational programs, events and shows. Since its opening, the Children’s Museum Jordan has received more than 2.5 million visitors.
Contact Information:
Website: cmj.jo
Telephone: 00962 6 541 1479
Location
The Jordan Archeological Museum
Situated at the top of the Amman Citadel, the museum was built in 1951 to display the richness of archaeological sites from various artifacts discovered during excavations throughout Jordan. The museum was designed to rely on natural lighting (sunlight) through the windows on the top of the building and on electric lamps on the walls of the museum and above the cupboards so as not to shed light on the artifacts directly and damage them.
Folklore Museum
First opened way back in 1971, The Folklore Museum of Costume and Fashion was established in the eastern part of the Roman Theatre in Amman, with the aim of collecting Jordanian and Palestinian folklore from all parts of Jordan to protect and preserve for future generations. The museum also aims to showcase our popular heritage and present it to the whole world.
The Roman Theatre
The restored Roman Theatre, which dates back to the 2nd century AD is built into three sides of the hillside, it seats around 6000 people and is still used for performances today.
Iraq Al-Amir
Located southwest of Amman, Iraq Al-Amir is famous for its olive trees and hillside caves that date back to the copper age. Also worth visiting while in the area is Qasr El-Abd on of the very few examples of pre-Roman architecture in Jordan, dated back to the 2nd century BC.
