Downtown Amman

I visited downtown Amman,which happens to be one of my favorite places, two days ago. I took my camera with me because I never tried to take pictures of the place before, and I decided to share the pictures I took with you. A brief description accompanies each picture.


Al Masjid Al Husaini, (Al Husaini mosque), located in the heart of Amman, remains a unique landmark with its history and the hundreds of people who renew their connection with their maker by praying inside. There is a number of shops around the mosque, publishing houses and scented oil vendors.


A huge rotating display “pillar” of hundreds of earrings. I found this to be particularly interesting because most earrings are retro-style, 80’s relics. You can find this beautiful retro pillar at “ZaZa” accessories gallery in Souq Al Balabseh. One of the oldest markets in Amman. The people who own/work at ZaZa are of a Kurdish origin, you can often hear them talk to each other in Kurdish. Another exotic scent to old Amman’s multicultural tolerance.


To reverse the old English proverb :”All that glitters is Gold”. This golden display I found at Souq Al Dahab ( The gold market ). To be more specific it is the display window at Fat’hi Abu Kweik’s jewellery store. Big thanks go to Mr.Majdi Abu Kweik for allowing me to take a picture of the window.

Gold has a unique importance to the Jordanian people, as it is offered to a woman by the groom before marriage. Women usually trade in gold and therefore like to acquire golden pieces of 24/21 carat rather than 18, since 18 carat gold often does not retain its value. It is also common knowledge that golden pieces with precious or semi-precious stones often lose a big portion of their initial value. Since if you desire to buy such pieces you will be charged for the effort the goldsmith put into their making but once you desire to sell,the jewelers will not pay for it.


This is a picture of a section of Souq Al Dahab. Stores selling gold and other precious metal-works are found on both sides of the narrow path.

Mr.Omar has been selling peanuts and seeds for decades now. He has become a prominent feature of the place.I never visit downtown Amman without seeing him standing between the Time Center and Fat’hi Abu Kweik’s gold store in one of the entrances of Souq Al Dahab. I have great respect for Mr.Omar, he is a survivor. Thanks, again, to Mr.Majdi who talked Mr.Omar into posing for the picture.

A sign indicating the existence of an old,canal-like market with shops varying in size on both sides. “Souq Al Bukhareyyeh”, a place filled with the aroma of time and originality. Here you can find a multitude of beautiful, hand-made souvenirs. There are also shops that sell beads,buttons,textile decorations and other tailor-attractive items.

This is an old store in Souq Al Bukhareyyeh,it sells buttons and sewing-related items. I find it rather amusing to muse over buttons and the like, and it is a very exclusive experience to enjoy that kind of little pleasure in such a place.

Musical instruments dangling from the ceiling of the Souq, another creative way of marketing.A collection of Oud,Rababa,Tabla and Riq is displayed here.

Dealing in textiles is a popular trade in Jordan. There are many shops that sell fabric in Amman. In my family,knowing how to sew is a very important skill to master. I,ironically,am not very fond of that craft. However,textile selling stores offer a wide range of their goods, something for every occasion. There’s always something out there for the extremely picky dresser. Prices vary according to quality and popular trends,but you can land some good “steals” if you’re a smart shopper and if you can talk your way into such bargains. My mother,carrying on a family tradition that she in turn inherited from my grandmother, raised us with a critical eye for textiles. She used to take us downtown to shop for them and I have always tried to learn to differentiate the never-ending names and types.

Lastly, downtown Amman may not be as magical to you as I portray it here. Then again, you may find it to be a most charming place as well. Whichever position you take rest assured that there is nowhere quite like Amman to the people who have grown up in it and have come to love its roads and scents. Its chaos is as lovable as its simplicity.