Introduction
As the capital of Jordan and containing almost half of the country's population, Amman is a very important city and as such has a lot of culture to offer. I is one of the oldest cities in the world and has been almost constantly inhabited. Amman is a commercial and administrative centre and has thrived on modernity. With engaging diversity Amman has modern buildings and facilities while still sporting traditions and historical attractions. One such tradition is hospitality, so tourists are very welcome.
Amman 2012 – Holiday
With modern hotels and older style ones, Amman caters to all requirements of tourists and thrives from the business. Downtown Amman is host to an Ottoman-style mosque named after King Hussein, this area has a particularly excitable atmosphere. The city is host to a souq (market) and within it all sorts of exotic treasures can be explored and examined = amid the essences of exotic smells and flavours from various spice stalls and international restaurants. Residents are very friendly and even in the chaotic and noisy areas still remain polite and considerate.
Amman 2012 – Flights
The flights are medium to long haul and range between 8 hours and 12 hours, with connections in Paris, Frankfurt and Cairo. British Airways, Egyptair and many others have regular flights from the UKs main airports including London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester.
Amman 2012 – History & Culture
Hamman was originally spread over the seven hills, also called Jabals, which reside within the Hashemite kingdom. It has expanded to cover over 19 hills and the population has risen above a million people. It is referred to as "the White City". Its many residential houses come in a variety of pale colours and are made from stone in uniform box shapes which have flat roofs like most other solid desert dwellings. The culture of Hamman rests largely with its markets, scattered around the capital are pavement markets and stalls. In beautiful contrast with each other Hamman contains remains of ancient civilisations and modern contemporary edifices, boutiques and restaurants. 5,500 years ago Hamman was the capital of the Ammonites, it became Rabbath-Ammon of the Old Testament and then Philadelphia, a Roman city which was part of the Decapolis. Above the city, sitting on Jabal al-Qala is the Citadel, the cite of the ancient Rabbath-Ammon. Below the citadel resides an amazing ancient Roman amphitheatre, a main part of the ancient Philadelphia.
Amman 2012 – Map
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