Traditions of Amman
The hilly capital of Jordan, where Bedouin hospitality, mansaf and the dabke dance are everyday heritage.
Amman is built on seven hills, and its Roman theatre sits in the downtown area. Jordanians include Bedouin, Palestinian and Circassian families, each with distinct food and dance. Bedouin hospitality, bitter coffee served with ceremony and the keffiyeh headdress, is a national symbol.
Coffee, dance and hospitality
Bedouin coffee is made in several pots and served by the host in tiny cups, with the first cup offered to the guest of honour. Dabke, a line dance with stamping steps, is performed at weddings. Circassian communities keep their own dances and the Jerash Festival brings performers from across the world every summer.
At the table
Mansaf, lamb cooked in fermented dried yoghurt, jameed, and served on rice with pine nuts, is the national dish, eaten from a shared tray with the right hand. Knafeh from Nablus-style shops, falafel and hummus breakfast, and tea with fresh mint are everyday tastes.
Signature traditions of Amman
Also part of it, and being written: Mansaf (The Jordanian national dish.).
A trail idea for Amman
- Roman Theatre Sit in the stone seats.
- Hashem restaurant Eat hummus and falafel in the old centre.
- Rainbow Street Walk in the evening.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Dabke: Sarah Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Arabic coffee: Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Keffiyeh: Copyright World Economic Forum ( www.weforum.org ) swiss-image.ch/Phot, CC BY-SA 2.0, source