![umayyad-palace-amman](https://stagesbombardier.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_hat_image_d/public/styles/article_hat_image/public/blog/article/hat-image/BBA_SS18_06-cnicholson_BM_LR-26.p1.jpg?itok=OcyJWBK2)
With the lost city of Petra and the Roman ruins of Jerash so close by, it is tempting to picture Jordan’s capital as a land preserved in the past. But Amman has a way of blending ancient and modern, now more than ever. With Byzantine and Muslim archeological sites co-existing alongside contemporary architectural feats like the cable-stayed Wadi Abdoun Bridge, and bustling markets giving way to a new wave of top-tier hotels and restaurants fit for royalty (such as Jordan’s own King Abdullah II and Queen Rania), there’s never been a better time to witness the city’s past meet its future.