Hostels in AMMAN, JORDAN

Amman – Bustling Jordanian Capital

Amman, Jordan’s capital as well as its largest city, is considered to be one of the world’s oldest inhabited cities on a continuous basis.
 
History
Amman’s first inhabitants are believed to belong to the Neolithic age, around 8500 B.C. By the coming of the 4th century, Amman had been controlled by Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Hellenic-Romans and Nabataeans. Christianity was adopted in the 4th century by the Byzantine rulers. During this time, the city was called Philadelphia. Following this, the Caliphates renamed the city as Amman. The city saw several natural disasters till the coming on the 19th century when it was under the control of the Ottoman Sultans who developed it into a major commercial station. It was at the centre of the 1970’s clashes between the Jordanian army and PLO. The Six Day War with Israel and the Gulf War has led to Amman being the destination for many of these war refugees.

Popular Places and Attractions
The Citadel is Amman’s biggest attraction with its excavated relics and ancient ruins. Several other impressive structures such as the Ummayad Palace, Hercules Temple, Great Temple of Amman and the Jordan archaeological Museum are also located here. The museum houses relics as old as 700,000 years and belonging to the Jordan region in the form of Iron Age sarcophagi, Mesha Stele and Dead Sea scrolls.

The Roman Amphitheatre is located right below the Citadel. Its complex also houses the Museum of Popular Traditions and the Jordan Folklore Museum. Traditional mosaics and costumes belonging to the 4th century Jordan churches can be found here. Some other popular attractions are Maisons Satie, Qasr-al-Kharrana, Darat ul Funun, Abu Darweesh Mosque, King Abdullah I Mosque, Eagle Distillery and the Amman tourist beach.

Getting Around
Servees, regular taxis, buses, rented cars and bicycles are the various modes of transportation available to guide you around Amman.

Places for Entertainment
Restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges, cinemas, pubs and cafes with their live music performances are the usual places for entertainment in Amman. Live music can be enjoyed at several places such as the Blue Fig and the Royal Cultural Centre. City cafes also arrange for salsa nights every now and then which prove to be really entertaining because of its live DJ music and exuberant expat and Ammani population. The Wakalat Street, Mecca Mall, Balad and Sharia rainbow street are nice places for shopping and moving around. Weekend hiking and cycling trips can also be taken up to the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley.

Accommodation
Luxurious hotels, budget hotels, youth hostels, backpacker hostels, B&B’s (bed and breakfast), guesthouses and apartments are available for fulfilling tourist accommodation requirements.

Currency
The official currency of Jordan is the Jordanian Dinar. Banks, hotels and bureaux de change provide currency exchange services. News regarding daily exchange rates can be found in relevant newspapers. Acceptability of credit cards and U.S Dollars in major shops and restaurants is good as compared to traveller’s cheques.

Group accommodation in Amman | Youth hostels & discount hotels