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Published: September 21st 2009
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Amman, Jordan. Often, I contemplate to find one word that helps me to frame and remember the places I have been. Amman, well, the word Amman suffices. I was told by many travelers that I would be able to see the major sites of Amman within one day. To be fair, while I did indeed see the major sites in one day and spent the night packing in preparation for the next destination, Amman did offer some very good culture. I was lucky to visit a few restaurants and shops that provided a good example of what could be enjoyed if I stayed longer. However, if I was asked what to do in Amman, I would still say keep your itinerary within a day.
In some ways, it is unfair to Amman, for its recent development is a short history. Only the in past fifty years has Amman grown to become a modern/major city. This influx growth comes mainly from Palestinian refugees fleeing the Israel/Palestine conflict. Of course, there is a much more ancient history of Amman, evidenced by the ruins. However, from the ancient empires to the modern day, Amman has been a small and quiet place. Perhaps in another
50 years, Amman will have developed enough to offer more options to travelers.
As for the ancient history, Amman has some pretty impressive sites that are not to be missed. The first I visited was a Roman theatre, the largest in Jordan. This theatre was built around 180 AD under the rule of Marcus Aurelius. The theatre is still used at times today. It is quite a functional theatre, despite the fact it’s getting near 2000 years old. As the pictures show, the stage itself is well made and I’m sure provides a great show.
After taking a little time at the theatre and enjoying some Roman architecture, I stealthy dodged traffic and walked towards the temple of Hercules. What made this a bit fun was that although you can see the temple easily, standing tall on top of a mountain over looking downtown, the roads and paths to reach this area are quite windy and display much of the local life. This temple was built as well under Aurelius, and although only a few parts remain standing, it represents the Roman society proudly. This temple has withstood not only Mother Nature, but also various ruling empires.
This mountain that
the Hercules temple rests upon is call Citadel Hill, and the temple is not alone. Ever since the first humans have moved to this area, tracing back to the Bronze Age, this hill has been a major strategic site. Besides Bronze Age relics and Roman temples, this hill also holds the remains of an ancient Byzantine church. It’s rather hard to see much of it though, for soon after its decline, an Umayyad Royal Palace was placed on top of the Church’s foundation (I’ve always found it interesting that one holy site area just coincidentally happens to be the next holy site area. What is it that makes ‘holy land’ such a limited geographical phenomenon?). Within this palace building, there is some great craftsmanship that reflects the style and flavor of the Middle Eastern culture. As the pictures show, some areas have been re-built. On the topic of being re-built, the wooden dome is of course not original, but was actually made by Spanish archeologists. This palace boasts quite a view from the inside, which follows the intention of impressing visitors.
Outside the palace, remains of the Umayyad Empire are scattered around. It’s also quite a nice view to take
in all of Amman. At one point I ran into an old throne room, now little more than an archway and floor. When I saw these ruins, it almost seemed as if they were lonely and worn down. What is it that makes me feel a bit sad about seeing such old royal ruins? After some thought, I have concluded that I feel upset about the idea that what was once regarded as royal and the most important area, is now an overlooked and desolate stack of stones. Perhaps I am a bit too romantic about the idea of royalty, but I rather like the idea that humans can represent something great. Sadly, it seems the trend that monarchs are living off of their subjects as opposed living to serve the subjects. I suppose that’s why democracy has some part of civilization progressing. Still though, the idea that what we presently regard as important and guiding may one day amount to a measly stack of stones worth a quick look seems to be awfully humbling. Maybe that’s one of the most important lessons of history, that we simply have to accept change. I suppose nothing is more awful then the
Goods of old Jordan
This display was at a great restaraunt, showcasing traditional items. idea of nothing ever changing.
Overall, Amman was a pleasant day and I wouldn’t steer anyone away from dropping by. If someone is looking to move to Amman to settle down, I would suggest a visit first. After all, it’s hard to compete with a site such as Petra (to which my packing was preparing me for).
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