31 July 2008: Amman has a mix of the modern and the ancient. Taxis in Amman are modern compared to Egypt’s 30-40-year-old Ladas. Amman even has a few shopping centers, with Mecca Mall being the largest and newest shopping mall in Amman.

When we stepped into Mecca Mall, the feeling was strange, after not being in a mall for quite some time. It was a bit of a reverse culture shock.

Mecca Mall’s foodcourt 

Jordanians don’t really queue up; they subtly push in line. Often those near the rear of a line will try to sidle forwards and pass those in front of them. We had to jostle for service at food stalls.

People smoke everywhere, in shopping centers, in the streets, in hotels, restaurants, taxis. Almost every taxi driver would smoke even while we were inside. That’s one downside of being in Jordan (like Egypt).

No one speaks English here. Most of the hotel staff can’t communicate in English, almost all taxi drivers don’t understand English. We had to get someone at the hotel reception to write in Arabic on a piece of paper the name of the places we want to go, and then showed them to the taxi driver. Unlike in Egypt, the taxis in Amman are metered, so we didn’t have to bargain.

 The Temple Of Hercules on the Citadel in Amman

Two temples were apparently built on the Citadel during the 2nd century A.D., with no other structures. The Temple of Hercules was built on the southern end during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (169-80). The columns were 33 ft tall and were originally part of a six-columned podium. The standing columns were re-erected by the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman.

We also visited the Jordan Archeological Museum, which is a few steps away from the Temple of Hercules. This small museum is a must-visit! Despite its size, it houses an excellent collection of antiquities ranging from prehistoric times to the 15th century. There is even an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

 Ancient items from the Roman times

 Roman coins

A female skull found in a south Jordan valley, dating back to the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age, beginning about 9500 BC in the Middle East).

 Skeleton of a child

A truly ancient figure found in ‘Ain Ghazal - a Neolithic site located in North-Eastern Jordan, on the outskirts of Amman. The site dates as far back as 7250 BC, and was inhabited until 5000 BC. At 15 hectares, ‘Ain Ghazal ranks as one of the largest known prehistoric settlements in the Near East.

This could be 10,000 years old!

These are some of the oldest human-form statues of large size ever found in the Near East. The statues were discovered in 1984 at the prehistoric site of ‘Ain Ghazal.

 The room containing the famous Dead Sea Scrolls

 A Dead Sea Scroll

  Another Dead Sea Scroll

We didn’t know the Dead Sea Scrolls also come in the metallic form.

 The Temple of Hercules

 On the highest hill in Amman

 On the Citadel

 Overlooking the Roman Theater

Al-Qaser (the Palace) 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.

The Byzantine Basilica Church 

 The white city of Amman, with the Jordanian flag in the background

 Residential buildings

 While in Jordan, we bought the only English newspaper called The Jordan Times.

 Picture of the Jordanian King

 Downtown Amman

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