Amman # 1 - The Ancient City

The Citadel

The Hill of the Citadel (Jabal al-Qal'a) in the middle of Amman was occupied as early as the Neolithic period, and fortified during the Bronze Age (1800 BC). The ruins on the hill today are Roman through early Islamic. The name "Amman" comes from "Rabbath Ammon," or "Great City of the Ammonites," who settled in the region some time after 1200 BC.

Amman has a bit of scandal attached to it. The Bible records that King David captured the city in the early 10th century BC; Uriah the Hittite, husband of King David's paramour Bathsheba, was killed here after the king ordered him to the front line of battle.


A Different View

The Temple of Hercules, today also known as the Great Temple of Amman. The temple was built in the reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD).

Read more:

http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/jordan/amman/citadel.html

The Palace

The most impressive building of the Citadel is known simply as Al-Qaser (the Palace), which dates back to the Islamic Umayyad period around 720 AD. Its exact function is unknown, but the building includes a monumental gateway, cruciform audience hall and four vaulted chambers. A colonnaded street runs through the complex and to the north and east, ruins of the palace grounds are visible.


The Bagpipers

As I approached the Palace, I seemed to hear bagpipe music.  It could not be bagpipe music of course so what was it ?  The music got louder and louder and then I knew it  had to be bagpipe music for sure .  But in Amman?  At the ancient Citadel?
Then, I remembered seeing the Jordanian Army Band when I was here in '84.  The band had bagpipers as part of its musicians.  Shades of the British Army that once ruled the area.  Shades of Lawrence of Arabia !


The Roman Amphitheatre

This is the Roman theatre and it is on Phildalphia Street, named after the ancient city of Philadelphia , not the one in Pittsburg.

The theatre was built during the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161 CE). The large and steeply raked structure could seat about 6,000 people: built into the hillside, it was oriented north to keep the sun off the spectators.

Read more :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_theater_(Jordan)

Unlike the rest of Amman where everything has changed, the area near the Citadel with its homes and shops has not changed.

Far from the Citadel, you can see the future Amman with its skyscrapers and multi storied buildings.

The Shawarma Shop at the Second Circle still has the best shawarma in town. My embassy colleagues and I would have lunch there at least once a week. The old embassy was located between the second and third circles.

This type of fast food did not exist when I was in Amman 1982 - 1984.

The very changed face of Amman at the fifth circle.