Amman

In 1983, road builders near Amman accidentally dug up some of the oldest human statues on Earth. The Ain Ghazal figures date back 9,000 years, with wide eyes painted in black bitumen and bodies made from plaster over bundled reeds.

These strange, haunting statues predate the pyramids by thousands of years. You can see them today at the Jordan Museum, staring back at you across nine millennia.

People have lived on Amman's hills for an almost unbelievable stretch of time. The Citadel, perched on the city's highest point, shows evidence of settlement going back to the Bronze Age around 1800 BCE.

By 1200 BCE, the hill served as capital of the Ammonite Kingdom. Greeks arrived around 255 BCE and renamed the city Philadelphia, meaning "brotherly love." It became one of the ten cities of the Decapolis, a league of prosperous Roman trading hubs.

The Romans left their mark in stone. Emperor Antoninus Pius built a 6,000-seat theater into the hillside around 150 CE, facing north so the audience stayed shaded while actors performed in sunlight. The acoustics still work perfectly. Stand on the marked spot at center stage and your voice carries to the highest rows.

Up on the Citadel, Roman columns from the Temple of Hercules rise against the sky. Only fragments remain of its massive statue, including a giant marble hand and elbow. Nearby, an 8th-century Umayyad palace shows how Islamic rulers later transformed the hilltop.

Then earthquakes struck. By the 1300s, Amman sat abandoned, its ruins used only by passing Bedouin herders. The city stayed empty for centuries until Circassian refugees resettled in the Roman ruins in 1878.

Climb the Citadel for sweeping views across the modern city. Walk down to the Roman Theater and test those ancient acoustics yourself. Kids can run up the steep stone seats, imagining crowds cheering gladiators below.

For food, head to Rainbow Street in the evening. Try crispy falafel stuffed into warm pita at Hashem, a legendary spot that's fed locals and royalty alike since 1952. 

Save room for knafeh at Habibah Sweets, a gooey cheese pastry soaked in sweet syrup and topped with crushed pistachios.