AMMAN CITADEL IN JORDAN

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Temple of Hercules in the Citadel of Amman in Jordan

The visit of Amman it won't be the reason that encourages you to take a trip to Jordan, where it will be other places that arouse your main interest.

How to visit thelost city of Petra, he Wadi Rum desert, or the remains of the Roman city of Jerash or take a bath in the Red Sea or the Dead Sea.

But as you pass by Amman, city to which your flight will surely arrive, you must take advantage to visit the Citadel, archaeological site where you can learn about the long history of this territory that we now know as Jordan.

Amman Citadel in Jordan

The Citadel It is located at the top of one of the many hills where the capital of Jordan.

Amman is a city where now 1.5 million people live, where you will find areas with modern buildings.

But its historic center, whose main enclave is the aforementioned Citadel, shows a conglomerate of low houses arranged on the slopes of the hill.

History of the Citadel of Amman

From the moment you enter the premises of the Citadel discover the long history of Haman, enclave that in the Iron Age was known asRabbath-Ammon.

So you can see it in the large stone plates where they show the names that the city has had during various times.

Views of downtown Amman from the Citadel

So, during the Nabatean civilization, from the year 312 B.C. it was renamed Philadelphia, and there, in 63 BC, came the romans, which were until 324 A.D., when the Byzantine civilization.

The city becomes known as Amman in 635 AD, with the arrival of Omeya, dynasty after which other civilizations arrived until in 1917 ottomans They left the current capital of Jordan.

What to see in the Citadel of Amman

Now during your visit to the Amman Citadel you will see remains of a first wall that dates back to the end of the Iron Age, raised to protect this enclave from invasions.

In the time of the Romans, and later, during the occupation Omeya, the wall was extended until it was just over a kilometer and a half in length.

Temple of Hercules in the Citadel of Amman in Jordan

Finally the Citadel wall It was almost completely destroyed after a strong earthquake in 749 A.D.

Undoubtedly, the most emblematic place today of this archaeological site of the Citadel is the Temple of Hercules, built by the Romans in the year 161 A.D.

And if you also have the opportunity to be during sunset, as agreed when I visited the Citadel, you will see enhanced the greatness that this temple surely had in its time.

During the walk through the Citadel you'll findlookouts with excellent panoramic views of the historical center of Amman.

From there you will also see the Roman theatre which is located at the foot of the hill, next to one of the most central and busy streets.

Umayyad Palace in the Citadel of Amman in Jordan

In the Citadel you can also see the remains of palace of the Umayyad, which dates from the years 720-750 AD, whose bronze dome is currently being restored by Spanish archaeologists.

And also those of a byzantine church of the fifth century, with some Corinthian columns.

In sum, the traces of civilizations that have marked the history of current Amman.