Middle East - Anthony Ham [288]
Jordan Gate Towers This high-profile US$1 billion business and retail complex at 6th Circle features twin 35-storey high-rise towers, and will include a five-star Hilton Hotel and a boutique shopping mall.
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ORIENTATION
Built originally on seven hills (like Rome), Amman now spreads across 19 hills and is therefore not a city to explore on foot. That said, the Downtown area – known locally as il-balad – with its budget hotels and restaurants, banks, post offices and Amman’s ancient sites are compacted into a relatively small area in the heart of the great metropolis.
The main hill is Jebel Amman, home to embassies and midrange and top-end hotels and restaurants. The traffic roundabouts (some now replaced with tunnels and major intersections) on Jebel Amman are numbered west of Downtown from 1st Circle to 8th Circle. The Jebel Weibdeh and Abdali areas have more hotels, the distinctive blue dome of the King Abdullah Mosque and the JETT and Abdali bus stations. West and south of these areas are glamorous Shmeisani and Abdoun, the most upmarket areas of Amman and the places to go for nightlife.
Maps
If you plan to stay for some time or intend to visit places out of the centre, Maps of Jordan, Amman and Aqaba, published by Luma Khalaf, is reliable and worth picking up from bookshops in Amman.
INFORMATION
Bookshops
Al-Aulama Bookshop (Map; 4636192; 44 Al-Amir Mohammed St; 8am-8pm Sat-Thu)
Amman Bookshop (Map 4644013; Al-Amir Mohammed St; 9am-2pm & 3.30-6.30pm Sat-Thu)
Books@café (Map ; 4650457; contact@ books-café.com; Omar bin al-Khattab St; 10am-11.30pm) Grab a bite to eat (Click here ) while browsing.
Bustami’s Library (Map ; 4622649; Al-Amir Mohammed St; 5am-6pm Sat-Thu) Good for international newspapers.
Cultural Centres
The following cultural centres have a library and regular film nights, exhibitions and concerts. The two main local English-language newspapers, the Jordan Times and the Star, list current events.
American Cultural Center (Map ; 5859102; US Embassy, Al-Umawiyeen St, Abdoun; 1-4.30pm Sat-Wed, 9am-4pm Thu) Has a library with American newspapers and magazines.
British Council (Map; 4636147; www.britishcouncil.org.jo; Abu Bakr as-Siddiq St, Jebel Amman; 9am-6.30pm Sun-Wed, to 3.30pm Thu) Southeast of 1st Circle. Has a library with current English newspapers and a pleasant café. Library hours are noon to 6.30pm Sunday to Wednesday, 11am to 3.30pm Thursday.
Centre Culturel Français (Map; 4612658; www.cccljor-jo.org; Kulliyat al-Sharee’ah St, Jebel Weibdeh; 8.30am-2pm & 4-6pm Sat-Thu)
Goethe Institut (Map ; 4641993; www.goethe.de/na/amm/; 5 Abdul Mun’im al-Rifa’l St, Al-Radhwan; 9am-1pm Sun-Thu & 4.30-6.30pm Sun-Wed) Northwest of 3rd Circle.
Emergency
There is a small tourist police booth on Hashemi St near the Roman Theatre.
Ambulance ( 193)
Fire department ( 4617101, 199)
Police ( 192, 191)
Tourism police (toll-free 0800-22228)
Traffic police/accidents ( 4896390, 190)
Internet Access
Amman has plenty of internet cafés, particularly in the Downtown area.
Books@café (Map ; 4650457; Omar bin al-Khattab St, Downtown; per hr JD2; 10am-11.30pm) A professional set-up (Click here ) with fast connections.
Internet Yard (Map ; 079 5509569; Al-Amir Mohammed St, Shmeisani; per hr JD1; 9.30am-midnight)
Welcome Internet (Map ; 4620206; Al-Amir Mohammed St, Downtown; per hr JD1; 10.30am-1am)
Media
The Jordan Times and the Star are the two English-language newspapers and both are worth a read.
Jordan Today (www.jordantoday.com.jo) is a free monthly booklet that includes a yellow pages listing of embassies, airlines and the like. Where to Go (www.w2go.com) is similar and includes a useful collection of Amman restaurant menus. Pick them up in the better hotels and restaurants.
Medical Services
The two English-language daily newspapers list the current telephone numbers of doctors and pharmacies on night