FOURSEASONSHOTEL, AMMANLocated in the upmarket diplomatic district ofAmman, the Four Seasons has brought its highstandard of exclusive, luxury accommodation tothe capital. The 192 rooms and suites blendclassic and contemporary design, with dark woodsand rich fabrics. Local flavour is introduced in theSeasons restaurant and the hotel also has Italianand Asian restaurants as well as several bars.ALQASRMETROPOLE, AMMANThis hotel has a good location in the Shmeissanidistrict of Amman, and offers a comfortable,practical and inexpensive place to stay. The 66rooms are subtly decorated yet have all theamenities you would need during a short stay inthe capital. What makes the hotel a strong optionfor those who visit is its excellent Vinaigretterestaurant on the top floor, serving Amman's best sushi, and the Trattoria, which offers agenerous breakfast.AmmanJordan's capital is a bustling, modern city, originallyset on seven hills. Many of its buildings are only afew decades old, with some exceptions datingfrom the 1920s to the 1940s, demonstrating thestyles which were in vogue during the mandateera. Some remnants of older history are stillvisible, such as the Roman theatre around whichthe downtown area grew. On a hill is the Citadel,along with a patchwork of Roman, Byzantine andUmayyad ruins. The Citadel is also the home ofthe Jordanian Archaeological Museum. This hasdisplays about the Dead Sea Scrolls and otherfinds, some dating to prehistory, though manyhave been relocated to the new Jordan Museumin downtown Amman. Other museums andgalleries abound, including the Royal AutomobileMuseum, established by King Abdullah II.32Roman Theatre, AmmanAmman CitadelFour Seasons Hotel, Amman

KEMPINSKIAMMAN, AMMANOne of the newest hotels in Amman, theKempinski has a very striking, modern design, with a curved sandstone and glass exterior. Therooms are furnished in a contemporary Europeanstyle, with bathrooms finished in marble. Thearray of facilities available at the Kempinski issuperb. There are four different restaurants, plus an entertainment centre, as well as a spa and gym.Jerash and the northJerash was a member of the Decapolis, a Graeco-Roman confederation of the ten leading cities inan area now straddling Jordan and Syria. Today itis one of the best-preserved classical cities in theregion. A colonnaded oval plaza is the highlight ofthe site, but there are also a theatre and Romanstreets to be seen. There are daily chariot racere-enactments, which can be great fun for families.In the very north of Jordan you will find the siteof Umm Qais, another of the Decapolis cities.Although smaller than Jerash, it has a veryatmospheric setting looking over the Sea ofGalilee and the Jordan Valley. The north of Jordanas a whole is very pretty, and with significantrainfall in the winter and spring, the countrysideblooms with lush grassland and spring flowers.Ajloun CastleAjloun Castle has a commanding positionoverlooking the nearby town. The castle isremarkably well preserved and demonstratesIslamic military architecture at its best. Built duringthe 12th and 13th centuries, it was an importantstaging post on the road between Damascus andCairo. The castle once had seven towers and a15 metre deep moat, and is a maze of interlinkingrooms and tunnels that are interesting to explore.There are also fabulous views from here over thesurrounding countryside. www.audleytravel.com/jordan ?01993 838 415 ?Jordan33The Desert CastlesHeading east from Amman into the desert, you come to a series of fortified buildings, mostof which were actually Umayyad hunting lodges.These buildings date to the 7th and 8th centuriesAD, but some of the foundations have Romanorigins. The 'castles' can easily be visited fromAmman during an afternoon, or you could takethe whole day and spend some time in Jordan'snature reserves. The two most popular castles are Qasr Al-Amra and Qasr Azraq. Amra is anUmayyad bathhouse, once part of a much largercomplex, and has beautiful frescoes which,unusually for an Islamic building, show the humanform. Azraq, originally a fort on the old Romanborder, was later used by the Byzantines and then by a succession of Islamic dynasties, andfinally by Lawrence of Arabia, who made this his headquarters.Columns, JerashQasr AzraqMosaic, JerashOval Plaza, JerashAjloun CastleChariot driver taking part in re-enactment, Jerash