Visiting the Amman Citadel, one of the most interesting archeological sites of Jordan, located in the heart of the capital city downtown.

Perched majestically at the nucleus of downtown Amman, the Amman Citadel, known in Arabic as Jabal Al-Qal'a, stands as a testament to the ancient tapestry of civilizations that once graced its L-shaped hill. Among the seven hills that originally shaped Amman, this archaeological site boasts a rich history spanning millennia. From evidence of Neolithic settlements to its fortification during the Bronze Age around 1800 BCE, the Citadel evolved into the capital of the Kingdom of Ammon by 1200 BCE. Over the ages, it fell under the dominion of illustrious empires including the Neo-Assyrians, Neo-Babylonians, Ptolemies, Seleucids, Romans, Byzantines, and Umayyads. However, a period of decline ensued after the Umayyad era, leaving the once bustling city in ruins until 1878. Despite this hiatus, the Citadel remains one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited sites. Today, remnants of its storied past, predominantly from the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods, still dot the landscape, including the iconic Temple of Hercules, a Byzantine church, and the Umayyad Palace. While the Jordan Archaeological Museum, erected in 1951, offers a glimpse into its history, much of the Citadel's potential remains unexcavated, promising untold stories awaiting discovery by future generations of archaeologists.