Amman and the Desert Castles

Home to almost half the country’s population and often referred to as the ‘White City’, Amman is a perfect base for exploring the sites of northern Jordan. Much of the classical city known as Philadelphia has been built over but, still surviving are the ancient Citadel of Amman with its temple attributed to Heracles, the Umayyad Palace complex, together with extensive fortifications, and a Roman theatre dating from the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

The Folklore Museum gives an interesting insight into the more recent past, but perhaps a walking tour of old Amman is the best way to experience the city and discover its little shops and quaint cafés. With its great variety of silver and gold pieces, the glistening gold souq is particularly memorable, as is the tantalising aroma of hot shawarma and the strong and sweet scent of Arabic coffee. A half-day tour will offer visitors a rare opportunity to get a feel for life in contemporary Jordan.

Amman is an ideal base for exploring the Desert Castles, located in the black basalt desert east of the capital, which can be visited on a busy half-day excursion. The Desert Castles are a testament to the flourishing beginnings of Islamic-Arab civilisation, though the purpose of some of the structures is debated.

TE Lawrence (of Arabia) spent part of the winter of 1917 at Qasr Azraq and described it as a blue fort on its rock above the rustling palms. The castle is in a very good state of repair and was built entirely from black basalt by the Romans as part of a network of fortifications guarding their desert frontier. The Umayyad Caliphs of Damascus built Qasr Kharana in the 7th century AD, one of the best-preserved monuments from this period in Jordan. The building consists of 61 rooms on two levels. Its construction and architectural technique suggest Sassanian-Persian influences. The highlight of the tour is Qasr Amra. This building also dates from the Umayyad period and has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is noted for its extensive fresco painting, which includes themes such as hunting, dancing, bathing scenes, and personifications of history, philosophy and poetry.