Falafel and hummus at Hashem

Hashem has fed downtown since the 1950s, is open around the clock, and is completely vegetarian: falafel, hummus, fava beans (fool), mutabbal, bread and tea. There is no menu. You say what you want, or the waiter simply brings the classics, and the tables fill with families, workers and visitors side by side.

Mornings are its real moment. Order the way an Ammani would: name the dishes, add “please”, done.

Taxi tip: Hashem is so well known that saying its name to a driver works better than an address.

Al-Husseini Mosque and its plaza

The pink-and-white mosque at the centre of Al-Balad was rebuilt in 1924 by King Abdullah I, on the site of a mosque dating back to the seventh century, and named after his father, Sharif Hussein. The small plaza in front of it is downtown’s meeting point, and the markets begin all around it.

It is an active mosque. Visitors who are dressed respectfully may be let in outside prayer times, but entry is not guaranteed, so ask at the gate first.

The vegetable market

Al-Khodra means “vegetables”, and that is what this covered market sells, along with spices, olives and herbs. It is the best numbers lesson in Amman: prices are called out fast, by the kilo, and nobody minds if you ask twice.

The shopping streets

The streets around the mosque are packed with gold shops, spice sellers, fabric, perfume and household goods. In small shops a little bargaining is normal and friendly. In shops with printed price tags it usually is not, so read the room before you start.

The Roman Theatre

Built in the second century, when Amman was the Roman city of Philadelphia, the theatre once seated about 6,000 people and still hosts concerts. Two small museums of Jordanian folklore and traditions sit inside the complex. Climb to the top row: the view across Al-Balad to the Citadel is the best orientation you will get all day.

If you entered Jordan with a Jordan Pass, the theatre and the Citadel are both included. Opening hours change with the season, so check at the gate.

Up to the Citadel

The Citadel crowns one of Amman’s original hills: the columns of the Temple of Hercules, an Umayyad palace and the Jordan Archaeological Museum. From the edge you look straight down into the theatre you just left, and across to the hills of the city. The climb is steep, so most people take a taxi up.

Knafeh at Habibah

Habibah has been making sweets since 1951, and there is almost always a queue outside its original downtown branch. You buy a hot square of knafeh, soft cheese under semolina and syrup, and eat it standing in the lane like everyone else.

Expect one question: na’meh, the smooth fine top, or khishneh, the crunchy shredded one? Ammanis argue about this like football fans. Pick a side.

Tea at Jafra

As the shops close, downtown moves upstairs into its cafés. Jafra, tucked into a building off Prince Mohammad Street, is one of the best known and busiest, with Arabic music on many evenings and a balcony over the street. Order tea with sage, the drink of a Jordanian evening.

And learn the phrase that will open more doors in Amman than any other. You say it to anyone who is working: the waiter, the shopkeeper, the driver. It means “may God give you strength”, and it always earns a smile.