Amman - Kings Highway

Beginning 9,000 years ago in the modern-day southern outskirts of Amman, the remains of Ain Ghazal, with the oldest human figurines ever found, prove this area to be one of the longest inhabited places in the world. Fast forward a few thousand years and the Ammonites come into the picture, founding this city set upon seven hills as their capitol, known as Rabbath-Ammon. It was during this time period that Amman become a vital stop along the King’s Highway, to this day. Alexander the Great’s conquests brought the Hellenistic culture to this city, which was renamed Philadelphia, the city of love, during the Roman times. Numerous remains of Roman rule sit side by side modern amenities today. The enormous Roman theater is used as a hangout spot by thousands of Jordanians everyday. Up above on the citadel, the towering pillars of the Temple of Hercules harken to a grand city, and also a popular photography spot.

From the 7th century onwards, Amman entered its Islamic era. Umayyad Mosques and early Abbasid governance shaped the city’s trajectory for centuries until a series of events, some natural and other political, led to its eventual abandonement. Revival came in 1878 when Circassian immigrants settled there, sparking Amman’s resurgence. Today, nearly half of Jordan’s population reside within its borders, with new skyscrapers tower above winding alleyways that have echoed the bustling footsteps of merchants and migrants for millennia. Amman's story still evolves, changing with the times yet staying original to its roots.