Roman Theatre – Amman
Last year, in the month of May 2025, I visited Jordan and spent around ten days exploring the country. I had rented a car with which I had explored the whole country. I tried my best to cover almost everything that one could visit as a tourist. Starting the Jordan Series with the Roman Theatre in Amman.
If you are a tourist, then most probably you would be arriving at Amman, the capital city of Jordan and the best way to start your tour would be to build it up slowly staring with the Roman Theatre located at the heart of the capital city.
Jordan is a very popular tourist destination, and most of the tourist places already have tons of information available online, so in this post, I will only mention the overall details and my personal experience as a tourist from India.
How To Visit The Roman Theatre in Amman
Transport options are limited to taxi, app cab and your self-driven car. I would always recommend travelling across Jordan with a self-driven car, as you would be easily able to cover almost all the popular tourist places.
You can park your car at the designated car parking spot next to the Roman Theatre; however, keep in mind that this is a paid parking spot and will be charged around 3 JD (May 2025). From here, you can easily walk down towards the main entrance, where you would have to purchase a ticket to visit the monument. This one is covered in Jordan Pass, which I would always recommend you buy before arriving in Jordan, with which you get a free Visa on Arrival as well as access to all the tourist sites in Jordan.
If you are having a Jordan Pass, then the pass will be scanned, and you will be able to enter the site and access the ancient site as well as the museum located inside.
History Of The Roman Theatre In Amman
The Roman Theatre is a large open-air space that could once accommodate around 6000 people at once. Inscriptions on one of the pillars located here suggest that this was built in honour of Antoninus Pius (Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius) around 138 – 161 AD.
This place was used in ancient times for multiple purposes, which include social gatherings, performances by artists, religious gatherings and political discussions. Similar Roman Theatres were once built all across the Roman Empire, having a similar design pattern.
In recent times, this place has also been used as a place for performance, seeing many concerts and other events.
What To See At The Roman Theatre In Amman
As you enter the main gate, you will come across a large open space known as the Hashemite Plaza. This is also a very historic place and has been recently renovated, after which this place was renamed as the Hashemite Plaza.
The Roman Theatre is located at the other end of the Hashemite Plaza, whereas the Odeon, which is also a smaller theatre, is located on the left-hand side of the Hashemite Plaza.
If you walk straight across the Hashemite Plaza, then you will reach the large Roman Theatre. The true grand scale of this place can actually be understood when standing at the base of the theatre.
The Roman Theatre has three clear levels visible, built at different heights. The stage is built facing the massive audience section. There are remains of various rooms around the theatre that can also be seen.
One section of the rooms has now been converted into the Folklore Museum. You do not need any additional ticket to visit this small museum, and it’s included as part of the Roman Theatre. This is a small museum showcasing the history of this region. You can see on display some weapons, musical instruments, household items, clothing, earthenware, etc.
There are multiple installations within the museum depicting the life of a Jordanian family in society. One shows the life of the Bedouins, whereas the other shows the life of the upper class.
The Odeon, which is like a smaller version of the main theatre, can accommodate around 500 people at once. This was built around the 2nd century AD.
