Jabal Amman neighborhood is one of the seven hills that originally made up
Amman, Jordan. Today, Jabal Amman is near the
downtown area.
History
Along with the rest of old Amman, Jabal Amman was first settled during the Neolithic period. But unlike nearby hills, particularly
Jabal al-Qal'a, Jabal Amman was never fortified.
It remained somewhat of a wooded outback until the 20th century, when Amman was declared the capital of
Trans-Jordan and royalty, wealthy families, businesses, army officers, and politicians began moving into Jabal Amman.
Soon, the ''jabal'' was informally established as an elite neighborhood of Amman. As Amman spread west, the
1st Circle was built and Jabal Amman became a primary east-west artery for the quickly expanding city. As the area aged, trees and greenery matured. Today, full grown trees line the streets of Jabal Amman.
In 2005, the
Greater Amman Municipality
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 as of 2021, Amman is ...
recognized Jabal Amman as a 'heritage attraction point' and set forth plans to preserve and develop the historic hill.
Location
Traditionally, the 1st Circle marks the start of Jabal Amman and
King Talal Street on the valley floor marks the end of it. 9th Sha'ban Street divides Jabal Amman from
Jabal al-Weibdeh in the north.
runs north-south across the slope.
Rainbow Street
The Rainbow Street (Arabic: شارع الرينبو), originally named Abu Bakr al Siddiq street, is a public space in the historic area of Jabal Amman, near the center of downtown Amman, Jordan. The street runs east from the First Circle to ...
serves as the main access up and down the mountain to the 1st circle.
Jabal Al-Akhddar is on the opposite side of the valley from Jabal Amman.
Architecture
Jabal Amman is renowned for its historic buildings and distinctive early 20th century architecture. When politicians and entrepreneurs moved into the neighborhood during the same time, they began to build houses, many of the houses featuring a single story and a large front porch running the entire front exposure of the building.
Notable houses include:
*
Jordan River Foundation House
* House of Chafiq Pasha Hayek
*
Belbeisi palace
* Habboo and Akrawi House
*
Al-Mufti House
* Jardaneh House
*
Mango House
* Sammour Family House
Numerous businesses such as Books@Café, Old View Café,
Jordan River Foundation
The "Jordan River Foundation" was founded earlier by Queen Nour Al Hussein, the wife of the late king of Jordan Hussein bin Talal, after the death of king Hussein, queen Nour left her position as the Chair person of "Jordan River Foundation" and t ...
, Wild Jordan, and Royal Jordan Film Commission inhabit these buildings today. The Ittihad Church, an example of
Modern architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...
built with
reinforced concrete, is an evangelical
union church situated in the neighborhood.
File:Rainbow Street 4 Jul 2008 (5).JPG, Rainbow Street going through Jabal Amman
File:Jabal Amman first round-about.JPG, First Circle
File:Mango Street.jpg, A view down Mango Street
File:Jordan River Foundation Showroom.jpg, Jordan River Foundation House
File:Jabal Amman Second round-about 5.JPG, Second Circle
File:Third Circle - Zahran Street.JPG, Third Circle - Jabal Amman
File:Souk Jara 4 Jul 2008 (2).JPG, Souk Jara, A Friday Summer flea market
File:Ittihad Church, Amman.jpg, Ittihad Church
Jabal Amman Residents Association
Jabal Amman Residents Association (JARA) is an organization started in 2004 to preserve the neighborhood's deep history and promote cultural events. JARA hosts many of the outdoor markets in Jabal Amman. The most famous is
Souk Jara
Souk Jara is a market in Amman, Jordan founded in 2005. The Souk (market) is a major tourist attraction lying next to Rainbow Street in Jabal Amman
Jabal Amman neighborhood is one of the seven hills that originally made up Amman, Jordan. Today ...
(سوق جارا) that was established in 2005.
[Official leaflets at Souk JARA itself Founding members: Zaid Goussous, Julian Noursi]
See also
*
Downtown Amman
Downtown Amman ( ar, البلد, al-Balad) is an old, central commercial area of Amman, Jordan.
History
The Balad is the oldest section of the city. It is believed to have first been inhabited during the Neolithic period (around 6500 B.C.). The ...
*
Citadel Hill, Amman
*
Mango Street
*
Rainbow Street
The Rainbow Street (Arabic: شارع الرينبو), originally named Abu Bakr al Siddiq street, is a public space in the historic area of Jabal Amman, near the center of downtown Amman, Jordan. The street runs east from the First Circle to ...
*
Jordan River Foundation
The "Jordan River Foundation" was founded earlier by Queen Nour Al Hussein, the wife of the late king of Jordan Hussein bin Talal, after the death of king Hussein, queen Nour left her position as the Chair person of "Jordan River Foundation" and t ...
*
Mango House
*
Al-Mufti House
References
{{reflist
Neighbourhoods of Amman