Jewels of Jordan: Amman

Ahl al–Kahf (Cave of the Seven Sleepers)

The popular Habibah Kanafeh in Amman. Extremely sweet!

Kasab sukar (sugar cane)

Gahwa (coffee) beans being roasted

Coloured sand

Sand art is popular in this part of the world

Ghanam (sheep's) parts. Dare to stomach all of these?

Kusa (courgettes)

Bamiya (mini lady's fingers)

Masjid Al–Husseini

Ahl al–Kahf (Cave of the Seven Sleepers)

Amman

Kanafeh, a local dessert, in the making.

Hesbeh (fruit and vegetable market)

Masjid Al–Husseini. The Ottoman–style mosque was rebuilt in 1924 by his late Majesty King Abdullah bin Al–Hussein, founder of modern Jordan, on the remains of a mosque built in 640 AD by the second Caliph, Umar Al–Khattab.

Ahl al–Kahf (Cave of the Seven Sleepers) as mentioned in Surah Al–Kahf of the Holy Quran.

The cave is located outside the village of Al–Raqim, 10 km east of Amman. Persecuted by the despotic rule of Trajan for monotheism, a group of pious youths took refuge in this cave. To preserve them, God put them to sleep, and when they revived 309 solar years later, they thought that they were only asleep for a day or so. Christianity was widespread by then, and when they were discovered, God put them to rest forever.

At the cave, there still stands Byzantine and Roman ruins as well as a mosque, which fit the descriptions exactly in the Holy Quran.

The bones of the seven sleepers and a dog, Qitmir.

Photos by SkyJuice and Qusai Alazzam.
© All rights reserved.

Amman is both the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, known under the Ammonites as Rabbat–Ammon and in Graeco–Roman times as Philadelphia. Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Described as a modern city built on the sands of time, Amman is a city of contracts – a blend of old and new, and is located on a hilly area between the desert and Jordan Valley. Originally spread over seven hills, Amman now covers at least nineteen hills.

Sources: www.ammancity.gov.jo/en and www.jtb.com.jo

Jewels of Jordan: The Castle Mountain

The Temple of Hercules

The Open Cistern 'Birka', a water storage.

Thistles swaying in the gentle breeze

The Umayyad Complex

Amman is both the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, known under the Ammonites as Rabbat–Ammon and in Graeco–Roman times as Philadelphia.

A view on Jabal al–Qala'a

The Umayyad Palace (circa 730 AD)

The Umayyad Complex

Downtown Amman from Jabal al–Qala'a with Raghadan Flagpole of Jordan, the world's highest flagpole at 160 m (525 ft), in the background.

Views of Amman from Jabal al–Qala'a

The Temple of Hercules

Amman

The 6,000–seat Roman amphitheatre at the foot of Jabal al–Qala

Photos by SkyJuice and Qusai Alazzam.
© All rights reserved.

My next destination was Amman, the capital city of Jordan. My friends and I went to Amman Citadel National Historic Site & Archaeological Museum, Jabal al–Qala'a (The Castle Mountain).

Jabal al–Qala'a is one of Amman’s oldest known sites. Perched on top of the city’s highest hill, it is recognised for its historical importance. Archaeological excavations reveal remains from the Bronze Age through the Arab Islamic ages, and this summit has been used as a settlement and a fortress for millennia, dating back 7000 years according to some estimates. That is around the time of the rise of civilisation in the Nile Valley.

On Jabal al–Qala'a, you will discover the ruins of the Temple of Hercules, an Umayyad Palace dating back to 720 AD and a Byzantine church from the 6th century. There is a well–preserved 6,000–seat Roman Theatre at the foot of the Citadel.

Sources: www.ammancity.gov.jo/en and www.jtb.com.jo