Reviewing the best museums in Amman is interesting in case your circuit leaves you free time to visit them. Although it is perhaps not the most tourist destination in Jordan, it can be considered the most interesting from the museum point of view. The fact of being the most populous city in the country (over 4 million inhabitants) is a factor that influences this, but also the fact of being the capital, since here are located the main ‘national’ museums, that is, the institutions that have the vocation of disseminating the heritage of the country, not only for the Jordanians themselves but also for foreign visitors.
Museum of Jordan
For many, it is not only one of the best museums in Jordan, but also in the entire Middle East. It is conceived as an exhibition space that shows the history of the country, from its most remote origins to modern times, with special attention to the Nabataean civilization. However, the pieces that arouse the most interest are undoubtedly the statues of Ain Ghazal, considered the oldest large-scale sculptural representations of humanity (made about 9,500 years ago), as well as the Jordanian part of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Archaeological Museum of Jordan
Since the inauguration in 2014 of the Jordan Museum, this other center has been relegated in importance, as some of its most relevant pieces were moved to that one, in addition to having been a bit outdated. But it is still interesting for lovers of archeology and also for being located in a privileged environment: the Citadel.
Darat Al Funun
Jordan’s efforts to integrate into the world circuit of contemporary art are noteworthy. And this museum is perhaps one of the best examples. It was born in 1988 with the vocation of being a reference for Jordanian creators, but also for the entire Arab world. In fact, it houses the Khalid Shoman collection of contemporary art, one of the most important in this geopolitical region. In addition, the dialogue between the ancient and the modern is interesting, because inside the building the ruins of a Byzantine church of the sixth century are preserved and exposed. Very interesting is also its careful landscaping and its integration into the environment, as well as the lecture series and film screenings.
National Gallery of Fine Arts of Jordan
While Darat Al Funun has a private character (founded by Suha Shoman), this other center has a public character. In addition, it has a more international vocation, since it houses works by artists from countries on all continents. In total, more than 2,000 works among which paintings, sculptures, photographs and engravings stand out, where the abstract and the figurative, the conceptual and the documentary coexist.
They also deserve to be on the list of best museums in Amman…
The above museums can be considered the best in the capital, but there are also others that, according to the tastes and interests of each visitor, also deserve to be part of that list. Here are some of the ones we can’t overlook:
- Folklore Museum: it is an ethnographic museum where the traditional ways of life of the country are treated, with special attention to the Bedouin culture
- Museum of Popular Traditions: another folkloric museum, in this case focused on clothing and jewelry, among other topics
- Automobile Museum: interesting for lovers of motor motor and especially vintage cars and motorcycles, as it shows the personal collection of vehicles of King Hussein
- Islamic Museum: in the King Abdullah Mosque
As you can see, if you are going to spend more than one day in the capital, you can schedule a cultural day to discover the best museums in Amman, which are many.
