Although my interest in history is pedestrian compared to many history buffs I've known in my life, I've always loved going to historic sites! Visiting Amman gave me an opportunity to physically stand in places I'd only ever read about in books, setting my own two eyes on structures and artifacts that are unfathomably old to me.
The Amman Citadel is a location that blends various periods of time together, giving one a window into how this area changed as leadership and culture shifted.
Considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited locations in the world, the area that we now call the Amman Citadel has passed through many hands, each leaving their own unique mark on the site. The most ancient fingerprint hails from sometime between 1650-1550 BCE; archeologists discovered a tomb that dates back to this period which held scarab seals and some pottery.
The most "recent" addition to this site came well over 1000 years later between 661-750 AD. Most likely built on top of an existing Byzantine structure, The Umayyad palace can be seen from a distance here. Although it contains many Roman architectural stables, such as the entrance hall built in the shape of a cross, it also bears Persian influence.
This makes the palace even more unique, as the stylistic choices that mark Persian structures are most commonly found many miles from here in modern day Iraq and Iran.
Upon entering this site, I was struck by how devil-may-care the set up was. I'm used to motion sensors and alarms separating quests who may want to touch a piece of history from the object of their misplaced physical affection.
Here there was barely a barrier or guard to be found, which I found equally delighting and concerning!
This tomb/excavation site was open to whoever may want to wander into it. There was no sign stating if this was welcomed and intended, or if the idea was that a simple hope for common sense would keep folks out. Feeling that the latter was the case, I respectfully stayed on the paths, but couldn't help but wonder if I was actually costing myself an experience by being uptight.
I've found a lot of this in The Middle East. There is an equal mix of unstated rules that have dire consequences if you should break them, and a total indifference to implied rules that would be strictly enforced in the USA (where I am from).
This location had an overwhelmingly lax vibe, which felt like a trap. At this point I would mention that although Jordan is a very welcoming country to Westerners, they seem to have a kink for fining us for anything they can.
I would find this out when departing through the northern border weeks later though, not from visiting the Amman Citadel thankfully.
Overlooking the city from a strategic point, the citadel is largely destroyed. Rubble marks where walls once stood, giving you an outline of how massive this complex once was.
A seat of power for half a dozen different ancient civilizations, these paths take you back through time to ponder on what the lives of those who manned this fortress were like.
My mind wandered and pulled these pillars up from the ground, reformed walls and envisioned what it once looked like here. Before all of the buildings you see in the distance were erected, there was a vast space that represented danger to those who patrolled this hill.
From the Neo-Assyrians to the Romans and beyond to the Umayyads, many boots paced these historically significant lands. Above is most of what remains from the period of Byzantine occupation. The rest would be reshaped centuries later by the Umayyads.
When I arrived in Jordan, it was not for tourism. I came to the Middle East to be with @yaziris, who I met and quickly fell for thanks to Hive many many months previously.
If you'd like to read about that, I wrote a post about it sometime ago.
With that being said, I do wish I'd spent a bit more on the one touristy thing we did there. Tour guides offered their services at the front entrance, but we opted to explore on our own.
Looking back, having a guide to explain what we were seeing would have been wonderful. Instead we were left to put together what we saw from sparse signage, likely losing a lot of meaning in the process. If you visit Amman Citadel, I suggest dishing out the 15 Dinars for a tour guide.
What was this pit used for? Fighting? An enclosure for an exotic animal? Water storage?
We were left to our imaginations to decide.
Thanks to media's vibrant scenes of Roman style fighting pits, we naturally gravitated to this explanation. The windows on the side give this idea more precedence, yeah?
After passing by a lot of destroyed buildings, we neared the Umayyad Palace.
It is believed that the area before the palace was once a souq, or open-air market. Nowadays this Arabic word describes a variety of shopping centers, from a collection of stalls to what we would consider a strip mall in the USA.
Based on the remaining structures here, I imagine that it was a combination of shops and stalls that lived here centuries ago.
It was easy for me to picture the bustling roadways that must have thrived here in those times.
Mixing folks from various classes together to facilitate commerce, this spot must have been home to many unique smells and sounds back in the day!
Just around the corner lives the entrance to what was once a sprawling bath house.
According to this sign there was a mix of classes allowed into its halls. If you're interested in knowing more about that, you can expand this image to read the sign!
Originally created by the Romans, this bath house was later maintained by the Umayyads when they took over the area.
There are various rooms that connect to what remains of this hall. With evidence of an advanced hydraulics system preserved by the ages, it is likely that this bath house was beyond impressive in its time! I think the magnitude of this feat is even more impactful when you consider that Jordan has always been a water scarce place.
One can only image how many trade deals were secured here, political accords and alliances drafted!
Bath houses in this style were major social hubs for the elite in this time. Popularized by the Romans, many cultures would continue the use of them years after the roman empire fell.
The Umayyads were a Muslim people, and likely gave new meaning to this spot when they arrived. When praying 5x a day it is required to wash up beforehand. When the Adhan (call to prayer) was belted out here, these halls were probably full of people preparing themselves to turn to Mecca.
Then they would head into this Mosque, which is the best-preserved portion of the Umayyad Palace.
This is a spot that molds centuries of occupation into one structure. With Byzantine influence flowing into the touch of the Umayyads, it can be hard to differentiate which empire left what behind here.
This sign highlights some of the distinctions that archeologists have made throughout the years.
Certainly, the domed ceiling is attributed to the Umayyads, as this distinctive roofing is still employed in Mosques throughout the world today.
The beams that support this dome are beautifully preserved, perhaps due to the reverence that the Muslim majority rulers of modern-day Jordan have. This was the only spot here than had clear watchers, two Jordian Police officers sat in here to keep an eye on this ancient religious structure.
I took these two other snaps while inside. The room on the left was likely once a reception and prayer area, whereas the one on the right was the same, just for higher class folks.
Outside of the Mosque you can find this wall of also dubious origins. A nearby sign suggested that this is also of mixed cultures, with the ornamentations likely updated under Umayyad rule.
Beautiful details have been preserved in the stone, a testament to the talent of the stone masons that worked here in those days!
Don't get too immersed in what lies above here though, or you may fall into this large uncovered hole after wandering through the doorway!
Although it was probably only a 5-foot drop, I was once again mystified by the differences in culture. In the USA this is a lawsuit waiting to happen!
The courtyard you see here is once again clearly Roman made, with the Temple of Hercules only a stone's throw away. After realizing how many photos I wanted to share, I split that into a different post. You can find that here if you're interested!
After passing by some more remnants of buildings destroyed by time, we were off to the museum. Before heading here I actually had no idea that there even was a museum, but as it turns out it is quite a significant one. Here you can find many of the most profound items excavated in Jordan!
Organized by time period, some of the oldest finds here date all the way back to the Neolithic period! One such is this statue, which is labeled as the oldest one ever worshipped!
Although that seems to me to be a claim that would be difficult to substaniate, I was facinated to learn that this pre-pottery idol dates back to 6500 BC! Wow.
In this section you can find tools that date back to the Middle Bronze Age, many found totally by accident.
Near the end a fragment of a Dead Sea scroll is housed, which unfortunately I was unable to photograph due to the crowds here.
Further on you can see ancient roman sculptures mixed in with examples of the earliest pottery from this region. It was cool to see how techniques evolved throughout the ages!
These ones originate between the 1st and 3rd century AD.
Being the ball of social anxiety that I am, there were a few times that I took photos without including the cards due to haste. I really don't like stopping to take photos while others linger in the corner of my peripherals waiting for me to move on.
Other times the cards didn't do me much good, as in the case of the photo above. Even after googling I'm not totally sure what year this large piece of pottery hails from.
Anyhow, here is a collection of snaps I took with obscured or missing cards. I hope you enjoy looking over them nonetheless!
Near these sarcoghogi stood this statue, which dates from sometime between the 2nd-3rd century. I have a feeling that these are far apart in origin though, from my limited understanding of burial rituals in the region.
Soon a big flood of people came in, and I decided to take my last photo and stash my camera away.
Although I did capture the card here, I really didn't need to. This display probably impacted me the most of all. It is the remains of an infant that was buried in a jar.
A custom that was popular throughout much of this region, it was common to bury a little one gone too soon under the floor of the family home to keep them close. This stirred a lot in me given my history of child loss, and brought on a slew of emotion.
After spending many hours exploring, the sun began to get low in the sky. We decided to have some caffeine at the coffee and gift shop near the entrance before heading out. A relaxing and lovely last look from the vantage point this hill offers to observe the massive city of Amman, this cafe provides funding to the site in addition to a cozy place to put your feet up.
I hope you had fun on our adventure, until next time!
All photos are my own, taken with a Canon EOS Rebel T100.
@yaziris, who I met and quickly fell for thanks to Hive many many months previously.