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Umayyad Palace citadel, Amman

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Jordan

Things to see in Amman

Tourist information: 

Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
Third Circle
Tel: (06) 460 3360.
www.tourism.jo

A selection of free glossy booklets, brochures and maps can be obtained from here. The Ministry has also established a unit to deal with customer care and a toll-free line (tel: 0800 22 228) to provide visitors with assistance and listen to complaints. Most information can be obtained online at www.tourism.jo and www.visitjordan.com.

Al-Husseini Mosque

The Al-Husseini Mosque was built by the late King Abdullah in 1924 on the site of a much older mosque and possibly also the site of Philadelphia's Byzantine cathedral. Built in pink and white stone in the Ottoman style, it was fully restored in 1987.

Admission Fees: No.
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Amman, Jordan
Citadel

The site of the Citadel in Amman contains the remains of the Temple of Hercules, built between 161BC and 166BC, and the Jordan Archaeological Museum with its collections of pottery, glass, flint and metal tools, a copy of the Mesha Stele and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Nearby, the domed eighth-century BC Al-Qasr (palace) is the centrepiece of a once mighty Umayyad city. The Citadel ticket office is located on Mathaf Street, just off King Ali Bin Al-Hussein Street.

Opening Times: Sat-Thurs 0800-1600, Fri 1000-1600 (Oct-Mar); Sat-Thurs 0800-1900, Fri 1000-1600 (Apr-Sep).
Admission Fees: Yes.
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Citadel Hill, Amman, Jordan
Telephone: 06 463 8795.
Hejaz Railway Station

The Hejaz Railway Station, which is best visited in a taxi, is like a time-tunnel to a vanished age. Just ask the taxi driver to take you to Mahatta - Arabic for Station. Trains leave from here to make the eight- or nine-hour trip to Damascus using rolling stock that was old when Lawrence of Arabia was attempting to blow it up. There's a fine collection of working steam locomotives that are used for corporate and tourist excursions, a remarkable little railway museum and a very friendly station master.

Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Madina Al Munawarah Street, Amman, Jordan
Telephone: (06) 489 5414.
Website: http://nabataea.net/hejaz.html
Little House of the Arts (Darat Al Funun)

This tranquil garden contains the former home of Peak Pasha, Captain (later, Lieutenant Colonel) Frederick Peak, who commanded the Arab Legion from the early 1920s until 1939. Now it is a gallery housing works by leading Arab artists.

Opening Times: Sat-Thurs: 1000-1900 (until 1500 during Ramdan).
Admission Fees: No.
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Omar Al-Khayyam Street, Amman, Jordan
Telephone: (06) 464 3251.
Website: http://www.daratalfunun.org
Roman Philadelphia

Downhill from the Citadel, the Corinthian colonnade of Philadelphia's original market place, The Forum, leads to a Roman Theatre, built during the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161BC). On the left side of the theatre stage a statue of a Bedouin warrior guards the Museum of Popular Tradition with its sixth-century mosaics, collections of antique jewellery and displays of traditional costumes. At the other side, the statue of a Circassian in traditional dress stands at the Jordanian Folklore Museum. A Bedouin tent features in a tableau depicting desert life and a recreated living room from an Ammani house depicts the life of city dwellers.

Disabled Access: No
Unesco: No
Address: Al-Hashami Street, Amman, Jordan
Royal Automobile Museum

This museum has an amazing collection of motorbikes and cars going back to the time of the Great Arab Revolt and includes the late King Hussein's 1952 Lincoln Capri (that he had when a student in England) and the 1955 Mercedes 300SL ‘Gullwing' he once raced.

Opening Times: Wed-Mon 1000-1900.
Admission Fees: Yes.
Disabled Access: Yes
Unesco: No
Address: Al-Hussein National Park, Jordan
Telephone: (06) 541 1392.
Website: www.royalautomuseum.jo
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