Monuments to visit Amman

An emblematic monument of ancient Philadelphia, the citadel of Amman is worth a visit whether you are an archaeology enthusiast or not. It offers an extraordinary panorama of the city and its hills of beige stone buildings. The lower city and the Roman amphitheater spread out at your feet while the minarets of the mosques break with their verticality the architectural uniformity of the city. At nightfall, the muezzins sound their haunting call to prayer and the neon lights of the mosques tint the black sky with green, like an aurora borealis. If you're in a chauffeured car, ask it to arrive from the north (Salah Ad-Din al-Ayoubi St.) and enjoy incredible views of the city and the citadel, which stands majestically at the last moment. The site is very pleasant to walk around and Jordanian families go there for picnics on weekends. In summer, you should come early in the morning to avoid the hot hours of the day. It takes between 2 hours and half a day to visit.

History. The L-shaped hill was occupied long before the citadel was built. A tomb dating from 1650 B.C. was discovered here, containing pottery. An inscription on a limestone tablet was found in a very good state of preservation at the site in 1961. This text, the oldest in the Ammonite language, dates back to 800 BC. The various civilizations that have occupied the region from the Assyrians in the 8th century BC to the Umayyads in the 8th century have all left their mark on Qala'a Hill. The Greeks may have built the city of Philadelphia, whose power was known throughout the empire, but they left no visible traces on the site. It was not until the reign of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (160-181) that the city changed its face and became part of the Decapolis. He used the plan of the temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the world. The Byzantines built a church, while the Umayyads added a mosque and a palace

The low citadel. From the entrance to the site, a gently sloping path climbs to the top of the plateau of al-Qala'a hill. There are some poorly documented ruins and a cave that was once a dwelling. One can also observe the remains of the Roman fortifications.

The temple of Hercules. Built when Geminius Marcianus (162-166) was the Roman governor of the Province of Arabia, the Temple of Hercules may have been built over an ammonite temple. It measures 30 x 24 meters and a smaller sanctuary is attached to it. It is the oldest monument of the very powerful Philadelphia. The Romans worshipped their demigod Hercules, the man of 12 labors. A gigantic statue stood at the entrance of the temple, as evidenced by the fragment of a hand that now lies at its feet. Of the temple, only the high columns and a fragment of the lintel remain. The missing marble would have been used as building material for the nearby Byzantine church. However, the whole building has not been excavated and discoveries are perhaps to be made.

The archaeological museum. A visit to this old museum is a must if you are interested in the ancient history of Jordan: some incredible pieces are on display. The collections are presented chronologically from the Neolithic to the Roman occupation. Artifacts are displayed in English. Notable works include the strange anthropomorphic statues of Ain Ghazal. They are 10,000 years old and are among the oldest idols in the world. The body is rudimentary and abstract, but the details of the faces are remarkable. The mouth and nostrils are clearly visible, but especially the eyes in relief, painted in black thanks to an inlay of bitumen. The material has been modeled by hand on a network of reed branches tied together to give them their internal structure like a skeleton. The plaster of which they are composed is then baked, thus attesting to a mastery of high temperatures. The two-headed statue is the most remarkable. A total of 15 statues of the same type have been discovered at Ain Gazhal. One is on loan to the Louvre and a second to the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

To the right of the room, 7,000-year-old skulls come from the ancient city of Jericho, the oldest city in the world. They were covered with clay during a burial rite. All of the adjacent display cases showcase relics found in Jericho, including trepanning skulls.

In the "Iron Age II" section, admire the statue of Yerah "Azar, son of Zakir, son of Sanipu," carved 700-800 B.C. This Ammonite king reveals in his features and symbolism the influence of the powerful neighboring Egypt of the time, especially the lotus flower he carries in his left hand crossed over his belly, a royal symbol used by the pharaohs of the new Egyptian empire, copied by the Assyrians and Aramaeans. She also wears the clothes of Aramaic dignitaries, showing the various regional influences at the time of her creation.

The museum also houses a reproduction of the Mesha stele. Its text, written in a variant of Phoenician, tells how the Moabite god Chemosh became angry with his people for being seduced by Israel and how he came to the aid of King Mesha to free the Moabites from the yoke of the Jewish people. This stele was discovered in 1868 by a German missionary in the village of Dhiban. This discovery aroused the British, French and German appetite to own it. The French archaeologist Clermont-Ganneau managed to make an imprint of the stele before it was destroyed by the Bedouins who were angry at the pressure exerted by the Ottomans to sell the stele to the Germans. A copy of the reconstruction of the "Moab Stone" made from partial original fragments is held by the Louvre Museum.

Finally, the museum also houses superb anthropomorphic clay sarcophagi used in the Iron Age, between the 13th and 8th centuries BC.

The Byzantine church. To the north-east of the Temple of Hercules, heading towards the upper terrace, we come to the ruins of a Byzantine church of rather modest dimensions. It would date from the^5th or 6th century and would have been built with part of the stones of the temple of Hercules. A series of mosaics has been brought to light. Excavations carried out intermittently suggest that the Byzantine city extended over the entire hill. Twenty meters further on is a large round cistern 5 meters deep. It could hold 1,000^m3 of rainwater and supplied the Umayyad Palace. Just next to it are the remains of an olive press.

The Umayyad mosque. The mosque attached to the Umayyad palace was built around 730 on the highest point of the hill. Unfortunately, nothing remains of the vaulted ceilings. Only seven rows of columns arranged around a central courtyard and part of the southern wall remain.

The Umayyad Palace. This monument would have been built around 720 by the Umayyads, under the reign of the Caliph Hisham. A true testimony of the splendor of the time, it included nine residential quarters opening onto a central courtyard. Only the courtroom survived the earthquake of 749. It is built on the foundations of an ancient Byzantine church (hence the cross shape) and covered with a wooden dome added in 1998. One can still admire the geometric patterns finely carved in the stone, inherited from Byzantine traditions. The palace was equipped with thermal baths, whose pipes date back to Roman times. Behind the hall, a courtyard leads to an alley of columns that must have been the heart of the administrative quarter. At the end of the alley is another square and the remains of the actual Umayyad palace. The distribution of the quarters shows the existing hierarchy in the city, ending with a porticoed courtyard leading to the throne room.

In addition to taking advantage of the permanent activity of the universities, you can visit some museums. The most interesting are archaeological and folklore exhibitions. The small museums of biology, medicine or anthropology are primarily intended for specialists.

This castle, built in the 2nd century BC, probably during the first quarter, is the main attraction of Iraq al-Amir. It was erected in a breathtaking landscape, in the heart of a natural amphitheater, in the middle of an artificial lake that has since dried up. The structure is spread over two levels and was equipped with cisterns that stored rainwater. The impressive size of the stone blocks with which the castle is built is remarkable. Some pieces weigh more than 20 tons. The building was however strongly damaged by the earthquake of 362. A team of French archaeologists set about restoring it in the early 1980s, attempting to partially reconstruct this giant 3D puzzle.

The northern part has a portico with two columns decorated with friezes representing giant animals, mainly lions and eagles. These sculptures show the influence of Greek and Persian art in the architecture of the time. The first floor was used as a pantry and as a quarter for the guards, while the upper floor was reserved for Hyrcanus.

The opinions of the historians are rather divergent as for the role of this fortress. Many believe that it was Tyros, the private residence of Hyrcanus of Jerusalem, a powerful leader of the Tobiad dynasty and governor of the province of Ammon in the empire of Alexander the Great. The historian and military leader Flavius Josephus describes a castle that may well be this one in his Antiquities of the Jews in the late first century. "Hyrcanus] also erected a strong castle, which he had built of white stone to the roof, and large animal figures were carved on it. He also dug caves of many furlongs (...); and he made large rooms in them, some for feasts, some for sleeping, some for living."

Qasr Al-Abd means "castle of the slave". This name refers to Hyrcanus himself, who as governor was "the slave of the people". But a local legend tells a different story: this palace was built by a slave named Tobiah, who was in love with his master's daughter. While the master was away on a long journey, Tobiah built a palace and carved lions, panthers and eagles to show the master his love for his daughter. Unfortunately, the master returned to the castle before Tobiah could finish his work, and his efforts to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage were in vain. There are variations to this story.

This vast public fountain was dedicated to the nymphs, mythological creatures in the guise of young girls, who were associated with springs, woods and mountains. It dates back to 191 and included a large pool of 600 square metres, two floors with colonnades and alcoves decorated with mosaics and engravings. The lower part was made of marble while the upper part was made of painted plaster. It was surmounted by a dome and water flowed from lions' heads carved into the receptacle. The pink granite basin was added in the Byzantine period.

The former residence of the royal family stands on a secluded hill. Built in 1926, it was chosen by Abdullah I to serve as his palace. You will be able to see (from a distance) on the gates, the arms of the Hashemite dynasty. But do not expect to enter even the gardens, visits are prohibited. The Raghadan Palace still has official functions, especially when receiving visiting heads of state or when presenting the credentials of new ambassadors.

The Abu Jaber House is one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture in Jordan in the late 19th century. This beautiful residence with its dozens of arches on the façade stands in the main square of As-Salt and surpasses all others in its finesse and elegance. It contributes greatly to the inscription of the city on the Unesco World Heritage List. It was built in several stages between 1887 and 1905 for a wealthy merchant in the city, Saleh Abu Jaber. The first floor dates from 1887 and housed the family and the store. In 1896, a second floor was added where the family moved in. The first floor was used for storage and as a residence for visiting guests. In 1905, Saleh Abu Jaber had a third floor added. The family gained more height, while the second floor was allocated to guests and the first floor was used for meetings, trading and horse stables. The building is the first in As-Salt to be equipped with a plumbing system. The roof tiles were imported from Marseille. King Abdullah I resided here in 1922. After the death of Abu Jaber, the upper floors were divided into three separate apartments, one for each of his sons. The first floor has retained its commercial vocation with the installation of stalls. On the^first floor, you will notice that the arched windows have colored stained glass. The house of Abu Jaber was transformed into a museum in 2010. It presents the history of the city and its rich heritage.

On the road to Iraq al-Amir, as you drive through a gorge full of vegetation, you will notice a nursery and a small café on the side of the road. Looking up at the mountain, what looks like a cave dwelling with its cut-out windows stands out from the rock. It is in fact an old dovecote dating from the Middle Ages, a cave with two chambers. The interior walls are entirely carved with 800 triangular niches that provided a resting place for the pigeons. The cave is reached by a staircase that starts from the nursery.

At the foot of the stairs leading to Muallaqat Al-Deir, you will notice the remains of an aqueduct dating from Roman times. It is not very impressive, but the portion that is still standing includes an arch that you can walk under. The water flowed over it and was used to irrigate crops. Wadi Sir means "the valley of orchards" and trees still grow in abundance. The galloping development of Amman has changed the landscape. It is likely that in a few years, the city will have caught up with this bucolic corner.

At the top of the city you will find the ruins of an ancient Ayyubid fortress dating from the 13th century. It was probably built in 1220 by King al-Ma'azzam Isa bin Ayoub, the nephew of Saladin. The small barracks that can be seen around it date from 1870. They are reached by an imposing staircase that seems to never end. The interior of the fort is completely gutted and left to nature. Only the external walls remain, which were 6 meters high. There is still a beautiful view of the city.