A hilly capital of Roman ruins and falafel stands
Amman spreads across a series of hills, its white stone buildings stepping down to the old downtown. The Citadel, on Jabal al-Qal'a, has the remains of a Roman temple of Hercules and an Umayyad palace, with views over the Roman Theatre below. Downtown is the place for falafel, hummus and knafeh, while Rainbow Street and Jabal Weibdeh have cafés and galleries. Amman is the usual base for Jerash, the desert castles to the east and the Dead Sea.