Amman Citadel

After visiting Little Petra, we continue north on the Kings Highway over high mountains, until we reach a vast open plain. Turning east we re-join the multi-lane Desert Highway north to Amman.

After dropping my bags at the hotel, and saying goodbye to Hassan the driver and Hakan the guide, I take a taxi into the centre of Amman. First up is the Citadel.

This historic fortress, the Amman Citadel, is located on top of Jabal al-Qal’a, the highest of the seven hills around which the city was built (jabal means ‘mountain’, qal’a ‘castle’).

The citadel boasts a diverse range of previous inhabitants, including Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, as well as Umayyad and Ayyubid dynasties. The first signs of human occupation found by archaeologists date back to the Middle Bronze Age (1650-1550 BC). At that time, the hill top was most likely occupied with either a fortress or an agora (a public space for arts, sports and politics). You can trace the great ancient civilizations through the remnants of a Roman Hercules Temple, a Byzantine church, and a spectacular Umayyad palace, as well as many other ruins and fragments. I also visited the Jordan Archaeological Museum, where many excavated artifacts are preserved, including both every day items such as pottery, and the finer things of life such as jewels and statues.

From the citadel’s vantage point, situated atop the highest hill in Amman, you can see far out in every direction across the beautiful city. As you look west, the tallest freestanding flag in the world flies proudly in the wind, and at the foot of the hill the amphitheater and downtown Amman buzz with life.Read more