"Happiness is found when you stop comparing yourself to other people..."
Amman, Jordan
(13 - 16 November 1994)
All in the family were stranded in Jordan for three days!
For this Umrah trip we requested TH Travel to make ground arrangement for a 3-day tour of attractions in Jordan and surrounding area. To our disappointment, when we landed in Jordan International Airport, nobody was waiting for the eight of us. We were lucky that the Airport personnel assisted us to be transported to the transit hotel. For the three days, we were provided with free lodging and meals. On top of that, the Manager of the hotel had arranged for the hotel limo to bring us to the many attractions in Jordan on the house.
We managed to get in contact with TH Travel via fax in Kuala Lumpur and they promised to give us a refund plus hardship expenses when we return from our Umrah trip.
Amman is the capital of modern day Jordan and houses almost half of the country's population. It is a pleasant city and a vibrant place with its own history, culture and monuments. Built around several hills and no more than five hours drive from anywhere, it is a convenient base for your tour. However, do spend time in Amman and experience the sounds, smells and sites of one of the oldest cities in the world.
Wander through the streets of Downtown Amman and absorb the hustle and bustle that makes the city so buzzing with life. There is certainly no dearth of shops and stalls to purchase exotic treasures and souvenirs nor is any trip to Amman complete unless you've stopped at a maqha (café) for a quick game of backgammon or have savoured the sweets and mezzah (appetizers) of traditional Arab cuisine.
Further East is the Roman Odeon which was a venue for musical shows and close by is the city's main fountain or Nymphaeum built around the same time. A small walk away will bring you to the splendid King Hussein Mosque which bares a plaque that reveals that the original mosque was built by the second Caliph of Islam, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.
Downtown Amman is where you'll find cheap accommodation which is good since all the main the sites are only a stone's throw away. Just East of Downtown is the large Roman Amphitheatre built into a hillside in the 2nd century AD and which seats 6000 people. Within the theatre located at one side of the stage, there is the small Folklore museum which displays various aspects of Jordanian culture past and present. On the other side of the stage is the Jordanian Museum of Popular Tradition. Here you will find among other things beautiful collections of Palestinian and Jordanian embroidery as well as charming mosaics from 4th to 6th century Jordan churches.
Further East is the Roman Odeon which was a venue for musical shows and close by is the city's main fountain or Nymphaeum built around the same time. A small walk away will bring you to the splendid King Hussein Mosque which bares a plaque that reveals that the original mosque was built by the second Caliph of Islam, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab.
To the North of the city and to the top of Jabel Qal'aa and you'll have reached the Roman Citadel where excavations continue to unearth great findings of earliest settlements. Here the Jordanian Archaeological Museum is certainly worth a visit for anyone interested in exhibits of Dead Sea Scrolls, Roman stone copies of Hellenistic legends as well as other priceless ancient artefacts. The Museum is conveniently located around three sites: the 8th century Omayyad Palace, the 2nd century Temple of Hercules as well as the Byzantine Church flanked by columns and the remains of a wall. A walk beyond the Hercules Temple will bring you to a great spot for viewing Downtown Amman and the Roman Theatre.
P.s. Our camera was left somewhere near the Makam Nabi Musa. Thanks to Sara.....
👈 1995: London, UK
