Usually souvenirs are the best indicators to tell what are the top, must-see places in a particular city or country. And, soon after I arrived in Amman, i realized that Jordan’s top attractions are not really in Amman. 55% of the souvenirs will be either with Petra city landmarks and 40% will be made of the Dead sea salt or mud or some other under-the-sea goodies. But, though it was tempting to check out the Dead sea, I chose to explore Amman city. 
Nowadays in any (relatively) developed urban environment one can expect pretty much the same: shops, busy streets with people, traffic jams, smells from food shops, traders, poverty next to luxury etc. Amman was not an exception, but still it has its own character: welcoming and helpful, kind people, whiteness (seemed like there is some kind of architectural code of conduct – almost all the houses were in white, beige, light yellow/brown color which made at times easy to lose my way as the buildings and streets looked so similar), entrepreneurial spirit and pride about Jordanian culture.
So, my top three places to go if you have a half a day to spare:
Al-Balad Souk (market) – this is located in the Old town where you can walk around, visits lots of small shops, meet locals and buy sweets and gifts (much cheaper and better than in the airport);
Roman amphitheater: when i got here, i was just thinking: is there a place on this planet where Romans have not been?? It was truly 
amazing to find this well-reserved footprint of Western civilization in Amman.
the Citadel: located on one of the 7 hills it offers fantastic 360o view over the city. It is an evidence of various cultures, regimes which have over the centuries influenced the history and destiny of today’s Jordanian people. The citadel reminded me of Athens.
Price: about JOD10 to go around with taxi;
Duration: 3-4 hours;
Amazingness; joy of adventure
May 11, 2014
365 ideas for amazing year 