On the eastern side of Amman's Forum stands a 500-seat odeon. Built in the 2nd century AD, it served mainly as a venue for musical performances. It was probably enclosed with a wooden roof or temporary tent roof to shield the performers and audience from the elements. Like its bigger sibling, the nearby Roman Forum, it is seasonally used for performances.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Amman attractions

1. Museum of Popular Traditions

0.03 MILES

This small museum, immediately to the left as you enter the Roman Theatre, has well-presented displays of traditional costumes, jewellery and face masks,…

2. Folklore Museum

0.05 MILES

Immediately to the right as you enter the Roman Theatre, this small museum houses a modest collection of items illustrating traditional Jordanian life. It…

3. Roman Theatre

0.05 MILES

This magnificently restored theatre is the most obvious and impressive remnant of Roman Philadelphia, and is the highlight of Amman for most foreign…

4. Forum

0.06 MILES

The row of columns immediately in front (north) of the Roman Theatre is all that’s left of the forum, once one of the largest public squares (about 100m…

5. Citadel

0.24 MILES

The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel Al Qala’a (about 850m above sea level), and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon…

6. Nymphaeum

0.26 MILES

Built in AD 191, this elaborate public fountain was once a large, two-storey complex with water features, mosaics, stone carvings and possibly a 600-sq…

7. Al Husseiny Mosque

0.31 MILES

Built by King Abdullah I in 1924 and restored in 1987, this compact mosque is in the heart of downtown on the site of an earlier mosque built in AD 640…

8. Duke’s Diwan

0.38 MILES

This historic townhouse, built in 1924, has served as a post office (Amman's first), the Ministry of Finance and a hotel. Today, it has been restored with…