Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Amman

geography Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Amman is the capital city of Jordan.

Amman panorama 2024
Amman panorama 2024

It is also the largest city in the country. This city serves as a center for politics, culture, and business. As of 2024, about five million people live there. Amman is a very important place in the Levant region. It is the seventh-largest city in the Arab world. It is also the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East.

Jamal Abdul Nasser Circle Amman Jordan
Jamal Abdul Nasser Circle Amman Jordan

The city sits on many hills. It was first built on seven hills. Now, it spans over 19 hills and covers 22 different areas.

Districts of Amman Numbered
Districts of Amman Numbered

People name different parts of the city after these hills or the valleys between them. A hill is called a jabal. A valley is called a wadi. For example, you might hear the names Jabal al-Luweibdeh or Wadi Abdoun. The city is split into two main sides. East Amman has many historic sites and cultural activities. West Amman is more modern and serves as the economic center.

View of the New Abdali from the northeast, Amman, 2024
View of the New Abdali from the northeast, Amman, 2024

Amman is one of the oldest cities where people have lived continuously. The earliest signs of people living there date back to the 8th millennium BC. This was at a place called 'Ain Ghazal.

20100923 amman37
20100923 amman37

Archaeologists found small human statues there made of white plaster. These are some of the oldest statues of the human form ever found. In the Iron Age, the city was known as Rabat Aman. This was the capital of the Ammonite Kingdom.

Rujm Al-Malfouf
Rujm Al-Malfouf

During this time, it was a vital spot on the King's Highway trade route.

The city has had many different names over the years. In the 3rd century BC, it was renamed Philadelphia. This name means "brotherly love" in Greek.

Church of St. Stephen, mosaic depicting the city of Philadelphia (Amman), Um er-Rasas, Jordan (cropped) (cropped)
Church of St. Stephen, mosaic depicting the city of Philadelphia (Amman), Um er-Rasas, Jordan (cropped) (cropped)

Later, in the 7th century AD, the Rashidun Caliphate renamed it Amman. The city has seen many changes and different rulers. It was part of the Decapolis, a group of ten Greco-Roman cities. During the Roman period, Emperor Trajan built a road through the city. This helped the economy grow. You can still see the large Roman Theatre today.

Amman Amphitheater 03
Amman Amphitheater 03

It was built to hold 6,000 people.

Today, Amman is a busy and growing place. It is a popular spot for large international companies to open offices. In 2018, about one million visitors came to see the city.

Souk Jara 4 Jul 2008 (7)
Souk Jara 4 Jul 2008 (7)

The city has a bus network to help people move around. This includes a Bus Rapid Transit system. This system connects Amman to the neighboring city of Zarqa.

The city continues to grow as people move there from many different places. It remains a vital part of the Middle East.

426 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (21)
File:20100923 amman37.JPG
20100923 amman37.JPG
File:Rujm Al-Malfouf.jpg
Rujm Al-Malfouf.jpg
File:Temple of Hercules - Amman citadel.jpg
Temple of Hercules - Amman citadel.jpg
File:Amman Amphitheater 03.JPG
Amman Amphitheater 03.JPG
File:Jordan0813.jpg
Jordan0813.jpg
File:Church_of_St._Stephen,_mosaic_depicting_the_city_of_Philadelphia_(Amman),_Um_er-Rasas,_Jordan_(cropped)_(cropped).jpg
Church_of_St._Stephen,_mosaic_depicting_th...
File:Z Ottoman Ten arches Amman 2.jpg
Z Ottoman Ten arches Amman 2.jpg
File:רבת עמון - מראה-JNF001650.jpeg
רבת עמון - מראה-JNF001650.jpeg
File:Sprt City Amman.JPG
Sprt City Amman.JPG
File:Jamal Abdul Nasser Circle Amman Jordan.jpg
Jamal Abdul Nasser Circle Amman Jordan.jpg
File:Districts of Amman Numbered.png
Districts of Amman Numbered.png
File:Amman panorama 2024.png
Amman panorama 2024.png

+ 9 more

More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.