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GETTING<br />
AROUND IN<br />
AMMAN<br />
Amman was originally built on seven<br />
hills, but it now sprawls across a wide<br />
area. In general, east Amman is poorer<br />
and less developed, so you’re likely<br />
to spend most of your time in west<br />
Amman, where almost all the hotels are<br />
located. The map opposite won’t get<br />
you from A to B, but it should at least<br />
give fi rst-time visitors a rough idea of<br />
where the major areas are and how they<br />
relate to one another. Happy exploring!<br />
SWEIFIYA<br />
A glamorous quarter of fashion<br />
boutiques and shopping malls.<br />
AIM FOR ➳ WAKALAT STREET<br />
ABDOUN<br />
Head to this ritzy, upscale area for<br />
restaurants, cafés and bars.<br />
AIM FOR ➳ ABDOUN CIRCLE<br />
SHMEISANI<br />
This district of banks and offi ces has<br />
some popular pavement cafés. Take<br />
a trip up here and rub shoulders with<br />
local workers on their break.<br />
AIM FOR ➳ ELIA ABU MADI STREET<br />
1870s<br />
Persecution of Muslims<br />
in Russia leads to waves<br />
of refugees entering<br />
Syria and Jordan, with<br />
many settling in the<br />
then-abandoned Roman<br />
ruins at Amman.<br />
1917<br />
Prince Faisal and British<br />
offi cer TE Lawrence (of<br />
Arabia) launch the Arab<br />
Revolt, successfully<br />
ejecting Ottoman<br />
Turkish armies from<br />
the Arab lands of the<br />
Middle East.<br />
JABAL AMMAN<br />
A broad, hilly area of villas, apartment<br />
blocks, offi ces and embassies, marked<br />
by numbered traffi c intersections from<br />
1st to 8th Circle. Off 1st Circle is a string<br />
of sociable, buzzy cafés with a pleasant<br />
neighbourhood vibe – well worth a stop<br />
on your travels around the city.<br />
AIM FOR ➳ RAINBOW STREET<br />
JABAL AL-WEIBDEH<br />
A quiet, residential neighbourhood<br />
which is home to lots of churches and<br />
cultural institutions, including Jordan’s<br />
National Gallery.<br />
AIM FOR ➳ PARIS SQUARE<br />
1967<br />
Israel invades and<br />
occupies Jordanianheld<br />
territory on the<br />
West Bank of the River<br />
Jordan, including holy<br />
sites in Jerusalem and<br />
Bethlehem.<br />
1994<br />
King Hussein of Jordan<br />
and Israeli prime<br />
minister Yitzhak Rabin<br />
sign a full peace treaty.<br />
FEATURES | AMMAN<br />
JABAL AL-QALA’A<br />
“Citadel Hill” looms high above<br />
Downtown, topped by the remains of<br />
a Roman temple and an early Islamic<br />
palace complex.<br />
AIM FOR ➳ THE CITADEL<br />
DOWNTOWN<br />
This is without doubt the heart of<br />
the city. You’ll fi nd the Roman theatre<br />
and antiquities here, as well as the<br />
souks and the bustling street life that<br />
comes with them. Any trip to Amman<br />
should include at least one visit to this<br />
popular area.<br />
AIM FOR ➳ KING FAISAL STREET<br />
A NOBLE DYNASTY<br />
JORDAN IS OFFICIALLY “THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN” (OR “HKJ” ON CAR BUMPER<br />
STICKERS). THE HASHEMITE DYNASTY ORIGINALLY RULED MECCA, THE HOLIEST CITY IN<br />
ISLAM, BUT NOW COMPRISES JORDAN’S ROYAL FAMILY. THE CURRENT KING, ABDULLAH II,<br />
IS THE 43RD-GENERATION DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD.<br />
1999<br />
On the death of King<br />
Hussein, his eldest son<br />
accedes to the throne as<br />
King Abdullah II.<br />
MARCH 11 | TRAVELLER | 57
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