For a hillside walk between cafés, cultural stops and downtown, Jabal Amman is a historic neighbourhood threaded by Rainbow Street, which runs from First Circle toward Mango Street. The area also has stairways and a seasonal Friday market.
- Rainbow Street is a public street in historic Jabal Amman near downtown.
- It was originally named Abu Bakr al Siddiq Street.
- The Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities describes it as one of Amman’s oldest streets, with cafés, restaurants and art galleries.
Getting oriented in Jabal Amman
Jabal Amman’s cultural stops include historic houses, a former parliament building and a museum devoted to Jordan’s political history.
Darat al Funun comprises houses built by Jordanian, Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese families. Today, it hosts contemporary art exhibitions and includes an art library and gardens.
The Museum of Parliamentary Life occupies Jabal Amman’s old parliament building and presents Jordan’s political history. Nearby, Jadal is a cultural and intellectual project in a house dating to 1933, on Al-Kalha staircase.
Jabal Amman’s cultural venues offer a point of comparison with the galleries and streets covered in this guide to Weibdeh Heights Amman.
For a broader look at the country’s past and cultural heritage, the Jordan Museum is in Ras Al-Ain.
Rainbow Street and nearby lanes
Rainbow Street gives you a clear route through Jabal Amman, while its surrounding cultural sites add stops beyond the cafés and galleries described along the street.
The Jordan River Foundation showroom is on Rainbow Street. It displays products sourced from community-empowerment projects supported by the foundation.
Souq Jara is a summer street market in Jabal Amman that operates on Fridays. Its stalls feature local wares, pop-up cafés and street food, alongside live performances.
How can you walk between Rainbow Street and downtown?
A stairway route connects Rainbow Street at First Circle with the Grand Husseini Mosque downtown, and the walk can take a few minutes. From Toledo Amman Hotel, Amman city centre is about 9 minutes by car; you could pair the walk with a visit to the Roman Theater.
Amman’s stairways are a longstanding feature of its hillside layout, built to connect foothills and hilltops. The route also links naturally with a city itinerary such as a one-day route from the Citadel to downtown; the same trip from Rainbow Street to the mosque can take more than an hour by car.
When to visit and what to check
Souq Jara is described as a summer Friday market, but its precise seasonal opening and closing dates are not stated. Check the Jordan Tourism Board’s official site before you go for current market details.
FAQs
What is Rainbow Street’s original name?
Rainbow Street was originally named Abu Bakr al Siddiq Street.
What can you see at Darat al Funun?
Darat al Funun hosts contemporary art exhibitions and has an art library and gardens. Its buildings were built by Jordanian, Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese families.
Where is the Jordan Museum?
The Jordan Museum is in Ras Al-Ain and presents Jordan’s history and cultural heritage.