Other sights in Amman
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Romantheatre
The restored RomanTheatre is the most obvious and impressive remnant of Roman Philadelphia, and is the highlight of Amman for most foreign visitors. The theatre itself is cut into the northern side of a hill that once served as a necropolis and has a seating capacity of 6000. It was built on three tiers: the rulers, of course, sat closest to the action, the military had the middle section and the general public sat perched, squinting, way up the top. The theatre was probably built in the 2nd century AD during the reign of Antoninus Pius (AD 138–61). Theatres often had religious significance, and the small shrine above the top row of seats once housed a statue of the…
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Qasr al-Abad
The small but impressive Qasr al-Abad, west of Amman, is one of the very few examples of pre-Roman construction in Jordan. Mystery surrounds the palace, and even its precise age isn’t known, though most scholars believe that Hyrcanus of the powerful Jewish Tobiad family built it sometime between 187 and 175 BC as a villa or fortified palace. Although never completed, much of the palace has been reconstructed, and remains an impressive site. The palace was built from some of the biggest blocks of any ancient structure in the Middle East – the largest is 7m by 3m. The blocks were, however, only 20cm or so thick, making the whole edifice quite flimsy, and susceptible…
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Cave of Seven Sleepers
The legend of the ‘seven sleepers’ has several parallels throughout literature. It involves seven Christian boys who were persecuted by the Roman Emperor Trajan, then escaped to a cave and slept there for 309 years. This is one of several locations (the most famous being Ephesus in Turkey) that claim to be that cave. Inside the main cave – also known as Ahl al-Kahf (Cave of the People) – are eight smaller tombs that are sealed, though one has a hole in it through which you can see a creepy collection of human bones. Above and below the cave are the remains of two mosques. About 500m west of the cave is a large Byzantine cemetery, whose tombs are sadly full of…
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Museum of Archaeology
Highlights of this small museum include models of the Temple of Artemis and Nymphaeum at Jerash, a copy of the Mesha Stele, and finds from Bronze Age Jericho and the 6th-century BC Ammonite fort at Tell al-Mazar. Don’t miss the unmarked artefacts lying around outside the building, including several dolmens (ancient graves). To get to the museum, take any minibus or service taxi heading towards Salt from Abdali or Raghadan stations, then get off at the main (west) entrance to the University of Jordan and head for the clocktower; the museum is just behind it.
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Al-Husseiny Mosque
Built by King Abdullah I in 1924, and restored in 1987, the Al-Husseiny Mosque is in the heart of downtown on the site of a mosque built in AD 640 by ‘Umar, the second caliph of Islam. The mosque is more interesting as a hive of activity than for any architectural splendour as the precinct is a popular local meeting place. Note that non-Muslims, while generally welcome any time except during prayers, may feel intrusive.
reviewed