Amman

Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, its hills sheltering human settlement since at least 7000 BC. Known as Rabat Amman under the Iron Age Ammonites, then as Philadelphia when Ptolemy II renamed it in the 3rd century BC, and later as one of the ten Decapolis cities under Rome, the capital of Jordan carries its layered past across a landscape of 700–1,100 metres above sea level. Today a metropolitan area of nearly five million people, Amman is the country's political, cultural and economic heart.

The most visible remnant of antiquity is the 2nd-century Roman Theatre, built into a hillside and seating 6,000 spectators, still used for events today. Above it, the Citadel of Jabal Al-Qalaa holds the Umayyad Palace, the Temple of Hercules — its colossal columns visible from across the city — and a Bronze Age layer of occupation spanning 4,000 years. Downtown's souqs and the vibrant streets of Jabal Amman and Jabal Al-Weibdeh offer galleries, traditional sweets and contemporary Jordanian cuisine.

Amman is Jordan's international gateway, with Queen Alia International Airport serving the city. The Dead Sea is 55 kilometres to the west (under an hour by road), Jerash is 48 kilometres north, Madaba 30 kilometres south-west, and Petra is a three-hour drive south. Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–October) are the most comfortable seasons; the city's elevation brings occasional snow in January and February.