Amman is the capital and largest city of Jordan, built on rolling hills in the country’s northwest, about 80 kilometers east of the Jordan River. A settlement on this site has existed under several names across more than three thousand years, but the modern city, and its role as Jordan’s seat of government, is a largely twentieth-century development.

Where Is Amman Located?

Amman sits on rolling hills at the eastern edge of the Ajlun Mountains, built along the small, partly seasonal Wadi Amman and its tributaries. The city’s royal palaces lie in its eastern section, while the parliament building stands in the west. As of a 2012 estimate, Amman’s population was about 1.29 million.^[1][2]

A Brief History of Amman

In biblical times the site was known as Rabbath Ammon, capital of the Ammonites, a Semitic people. Its name changed again after the Egyptian king Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who ruled from 285 to 246 BCE, conquered the city and renamed it Philadelphia, a name that persisted through the Roman and Byzantine periods.^[1][2]

Rome rebuilt much of the city, and the extensive Roman-era ruins that survive in Amman today date largely from this period. After Arab rule began in the seventh century, the city declined, and by around 1300 it had been abandoned for reasons that remain unclear. It stayed largely empty until 1878, when Ottoman authorities resettled the site with Circassian and other refugees, after which it remained a small village for decades.^[2]

Amman’s modern rise began after World War I, when it became the capital of the newly created Emirate of Transjordan in 1921. It grew rapidly once Jordan gained full independence from Britain in 1946, and continued expanding through waves of regional upheaval, including the growth of refugee populations and, in 1970, severe street fighting between Jordanian forces and Palestinian armed groups that damaged parts of the city.^[2]

Government and Economy

As Jordan’s capital, Amman is the residence of the king and the seat of the national government, and it serves as the country’s main commercial, financial, and international trade center. It has an international airport and a diversified industrial base that includes food and tobacco processing, cement production, and the manufacture of textiles, paper products, plastics, and aluminum goods. The University of Jordan, founded in 1962, is based in the city, alongside several museums and the National Library.^[1][2]

What Is Amman Known For?

Amman’s most iconic landmark is the Amman Citadel, a hilltop site holding the remains of the ancient city across several eras, alongside an adjoining archaeological museum. Just below it stands a large, finely preserved Roman amphitheater, built during the city’s time as Philadelphia, which remains one of the most visited and photographed structures in the city and a direct physical link to Amman’s Roman past.^[1][2]

Why Amman Matters

Amman matters as the political and economic center of Jordan, a country positioned at the crossroads of several regional conflicts and population movements over the past century. Its layered history under the Ammonites, the Ptolemies, Rome, and the Ottomans, visible in the Citadel and the Roman amphitheater that still stand in the modern city, makes Amman a clear record of how control over this part of the Levant repeatedly changed hands.

Key Takeaways

• Amman sits on hills at the eastern edge of the Ajlun Mountains and has a population of roughly 1.29 million.^[1][2]
• The site was known in antiquity as Rabbath Ammon, then renamed Philadelphia under Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285 to 246 BCE).^[1][2]
• The city was largely abandoned by around 1300 and remained a small village until after World War I.^[2]
• Amman became the capital of Transjordan in 1921 and grew rapidly after Jordan’s independence in 1946.^[2]
• The Amman Citadel and its adjoining Roman amphitheater are the city’s most iconic landmarks.^[1][2]

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica | “Amman” | Undated | https://www.britannica.com/place/Amman | Accessed 2026-10-21
• Encyclopaedia Britannica for Students | “Amman” | Undated | https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Amman/272836 | Accessed 2026-10-21

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed October 21, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue