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Culture of Amman


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Cuisine

The New York Times praised the cuisine of Amman. “You’ll find the bright vegetables from Lebanon, crunchy falafels from Syria, juicykebabs from Egypt and, most recently, spicy meat dishes from Jordan’s neighbor, Iraq. It’s known as the food of the Levant — an ancient word for the area bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian peninsula. But the food here isn’t just the sum of its calories. In this politically, religiously and ethnically fraught corner of the world, it is a symbol of bloodlines and identity.”

Amman is considered one of the most "westernized" and cosmopolitan cities in the Arab World. Amman has become one of the most popular destinations for "Western" expats and college students who seek to live, study, or work in the Middle East or the Arab World in general. The city's culinary scene has expanded from its shwarma stands and falafel joints to embrace many popular American restaurants and fast-food outlets like McDonald's and T.G.I. Friday's, swank Asian fusion restaurants, French bistros such as La Maison Verte and Italian trattorias. The city has become famous for its sophisticated fine dining scene among Western expats and Persian Gulf tourists.

There are numerous nightclubs and bars across the city especially in West Amman. Modesty in dress for men and women is greatly relaxed and low-cut shirts, tank tops and short skirts are becoming commonplace. Abdoun Circle (not one of the eight) is a major center of the city’s night life where the chicest clubs maintain a strict “couples only” policy, meaning no unescorted men. Sweifieh is considered to be the unofficial red-light district of Amman as it holds most of the city's nightclubs, bars, strip-clubs, massage parlors, and other adult entertainment venues. The night-life scene is known to evolve so quickly that hot spots open and close almost before they can be published in magazines and tourist guide books.

One of Amman's new
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