Jordan Guide
Amman
The Roman Theatre
Opening time: Sat– Thurs roughly 8am– sunset, Fri 10am–4pm
Price: JD1
Address: The Roman forum
Cut into a depression in the hillside, the Roman Theatre is impressively huge, and the view, as well as the ability to eavesdrop on conversations between ant-like people on the stage below, definitely repays the steep climb to the top. The structure was built between 169 and 177 AD, during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, for an audience of almost six thousand, and is still occasionally filled today for concerts. Above the seating is a small, empty shrine with niches; the dedication isn't known, although part of a statue of Athena was discovered during clearance work.
To the sides of the stage are two small museums, housed in vaults beneath the auditorium. On the right as you walk in, the Folklore Museum displays mannequins engaged in traditional crafts and a moderately interesting reconstruction of an old-fashioned living-room. More worthwhile is the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions, opposite, which enlivens the well-worn theme of traditional clothing, jewellery and customs by rooting it firmly in the present-day life of ordinary people. The vaulted rooms are full of examples of national dress, with detailed notes and occasional photographs to set them in context. Other exhibits include pieces of antique bedouin jewellery and a fascinating range of stones used in healing, as well as mosaics downstairs gathered from Madaba and Jerash (and viewable up close).