Amman spreads over a series of hills and acts as the country's commercial, administrative and educational hub, and it also draws visitors for medical treatment. The climate is broadly Mediterranean: summer temperatures reach the mid-thirties Celsius, and winter on the higher ground can occasionally dip below freezing.
The city has a long past. Known in antiquity as Rabbath Ammon and renamed Philadelphia by the Romans, it took its present name under the Umayyads. The modern city began to grow after Circassian settlers arrived in 1878 near the Amman stream and the Roman Theatre. It became the capital of the Emirate of Transjordan and then of the Hashemite Kingdom after independence in 1946, and its first municipal council dates from 1909.
Apartments are the usual rental choice. Furnished units are popular with expats and international students, while villas and semi-detached houses suit households that need more space. Hagzi's housing guides list Abdoun, Al Shmesani, Al Weibdeh, Jabal Amman, Swefiyeh and Deir Ghbar among the areas people often consider, with newer high-end apartment projects in Al Abdali, Swefiyeh and the 5th Circle. Landlords usually ask for a passport copy, a residency permit and a deposit.
Well-known sights include the Citadel with its Temple of Hercules, the Roman Theatre, the Jordan Museum, Rainbow Street, the King Abdullah I Mosque and the Al-Hussein Mosque downtown.
