Amman and Jerash, Jordan

 Trip duration: 2 days, Jan 2024

After visiting Egypt, we flew to Jordan and spent 4 days there. We booked the 3 day private tour (Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum and Dead Sea) through Jordan Private Tours and Travel. They were fantastic and I highly recommend them.

Pro tip: Buy Jordan Pass prior to traveling to US. This gives you access to all key monuments and historical sites you wish to visit AND visitor visa fees are waived.

This is what our overall itinerary looked like:

Day 0: Arrive at Amman

Day 1: Amman Citadel, Jerash, Aljoun Castle, Back to Amman

Day 2: Petra. Overnight at Wadi Rum

Day 3: Wadi Rum jeep tour. Dead Sea. Back to Amman and then US.

In this post I'll cover the first couple of days of the trip. 

Day 0

We arrived at Amman some time in the afternoon. After collecting our bags and converting some cash into Jordanian currency (Dinar), we hopped into our pick up vehicle that brought us to our hotel, Toledo Hotel. 

After the hectic Egypt trip I was feeling a bit under the weather, hence we decided to keep the evening light. We ended up walking around the neighborhood and visited the famous Blue Mosque.

King Abdullah Mosque aka Blue Mosque

This gorgeous mosque with its blue dome, built in the 1980s, is an example of contemporary Islamic architecture. This is in fact the only mosque in Amman that openly welcomes non-Muslim visitors (Sunday to Thursday) but do remember to dress conservatively and cover your knees and shoulders.

The massive mosque can accommodate 3000 worshippers and has a separate prayer room for women.

After this we walked back to the hotel, ate dinner at the restaurant there and turned in for the night.

Day 1

We started the day early, and even though Amman Citadel was not on the original itinerary, the tour company was more than willing to accommodate our request to throw it in. 

We drove up the hill and arrived at the historical citadel, which boasts of a phenomenal view of the older parts of Amman.

Amman Citadel

Located atop a hill and offering panoramic views of the city, Amman Citadel has a long history of occupation by many civilizations.. right from the Neolithic period all the way to the Umayyad period (7th century AD). The structures that are still standing belong to the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods.

The main sights to see are:

Temple of Hercules

This is considered the most significant Roman structure within Amman Citadel. Believed to have been built during the Roman period around 2nd century AD, the temple once housed the marble statue of Hercules. The hand and elbow are some of the only surviving fragments from the original statue. 

Umayyad Palace

This is a large palatial complex built in the 8th century AD. The palace originally covered a large complex of buildings, but most of it was destroyed by an earthquake. The complex incorporates an audience hall, four vaulted assembly rooms, and a colonnaded road. The remains of a large Umayyad mosque on the left as you're walking from the Temple of Hercules indicate the beginning of the huge Umayyad Palace complex, which stretches over the northern part of the hill. Beyond the mosque you come to the impressive domed entrance hall, reached by crossing the first of four plazas. Built over an earlier Byzantine building (which is why it is in the shape of a cross), the hall is decorated with stucco colonnettes and Persian-style geometric patterns.

Byzantine Church

Originally built in the 6th century, all that remains today are some broken pillars and some mosaics.

Roman Theater

Built into the hillside, this is a 6000 seater 2nd century Roman theater that flanks the Hashemite plaza. It's not exactly part of the citadel itself but is located at its foothill.

We then headed back to our cars for the drive to Jerash.

Jerash

Settled by humans as early as the Neolithic period (c. 7500-5500 BCE) and founded as a Hellenistic city in the 2nd century BC, Jerash is perhaps the largest and most well preserved Greco-Roman ruin outside Italy. When the Romans took control of the city, they transformed it into a wealthy and powerful center of trade. In its heyday the city was home to 20000 people. When the Roman Era came to an end in the 4th century, Jerash came under the control of the Byzantine Empire and it continued to be an important settlement as it adapted to Christianity

The site today is massive, albeit with not a whole lot of signage. We arrived at the entrance and decided to not get a guide, which in hindsight was probably not a very smart move. We still managed to cover all the main sights by ourselves in about 3 hours or so.

Hadrian's Arch (Triumphal Arch)

Built in 129 AD and located at the southern end of the site, this is a triple bay ceremonial entrance. The grandeur of the arch lies in its colossal dimensions and intricate design details. The arch also showcases Corinthian capitals, that are characteristic of Roman architecture.

Once we passed through the arch, we came upon the Hippodrome.

Hippodrome

This was an ancient stadium that was the venue of chariot races and other athletic events back in the day and could seat up to 15000 people. 

After this we passed through the actual South Gate of the city, which brought us to the marketplace. This was a stretch of road which was lined by stores back in the day.

Oval Plaza

One of the most iconic locations at the site is the Oval Plaza, lined by dozens of Ionic columns. It was used for seminars and public gatherings. The main streets of Jerash are laid out as a cross, intersecting at this plaza.

Cardo Maximus

One of the longest and best-preserved Roman colonnaded streets in the world, this is the main street of Jerash. It is about 800 meters long and is lined by hundreds of columns of varying heights. There are many buildings of interest on either side of the Cardo maximus, in various states of restoration and ruin.

Sanctuary of Zeus

The Sanctuary of Zeus Olýmpios was an ancient Hellinistic-Roman temple complex spread over two terraced levels. Perched atop a hill, this temple holds a significant place of reverence, being among the oldest sacred sites in the city. It was constructed in 2nd century AD. While most of the temple has fallen to ruin, it is still a beautiful sight, offering an incredible view of the Oval plaza.

South Theater

One of three theatres at Jerash, this is the oldest and largest and located right behind the Temple of Zeus. It was built in 1st century AD. The theater is surprisingly well preserved and still boasts of a gorgeous stage and facade. While we soaked in the vibe of the place, there were in fact some local musicians performing.. which definitely enhanced the experience.

We continued walking down the Cardo and came upon the next batch of buildings.

Propylaeum

This was part of the beautiful and grand entrance to the Temple of Artemis. Although ruined by earthquakes in the sixth century AD, it was reconstructed in 1928.

Temple of Artemis

Dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of hunting and fertility and the daughter of Zeus and Leto, this temple was built between AD 150 and 170, and flanked by 12 elaborately carved Corinthian columns, 11 of which are standing to this day.

Nymphaeum

This was a massive fountain devoted to the nymphs, who in Greek and Roman mythology were divine spirits associated with water and nature. This beautiful two story structure was built to collect water from natural springs or via an aqueduct system.

We then retraced our path back to Hadrian's arch and out of the site. Following this, we went to the Old Roman Restaurant for lunch. The restaurant had an extensive buffet, but the food was strictly okay.

We then got back into the car and began our drive to the final stop for the day.

Aljoun Castle

Located on Mount 'Auf midway between Jerash and Amman, Aljoun Castle is a 12th century Muslim castle.

We drove up through the town by the same name and parked not to far from the main entrance. While many guides told us to hire them for the trip, we decided to embark on a self guided tour itself, and this around it was the right call. We explored the different parts of the castle, with the general direction being upwards, towards the terrace.

The terrace offered a spectacular view of the surrounding valley.

The site also holds the remarkable Aljoun Archeological Museum, housed inside the castle, offering fine examples of pottery and ceramics as well as other displays and artifacts from the region.

We then made our way back to the car and began our drive back to our hotel in Amman. While chatting with our driver/guide enroute he gave us restaurant recommendations for dinner.

Dinner at Ghaith

It was NYE but in Jordan it was like any other weeknight. We followed our guide's advice and walked down to Ghaith for a memorable dinner. I had Mansaf, Jordan's national dish.. which is basically a slow cooked lamb in a creamy yogurt gravy served on rice.. and even after over a year since that trip, I'm still drooling at the very memory of that dinner. My kid of course loved his shawarma.

Back to the hotel, we packed for the final leg of the trip and settled in for an early start.