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10. How's the shopping scene? (continued)

KEY SHOPPING AREAS IN AMMAN

Amman is a sprawling city situated on a series of seven hills and laced by many traffic circles, which tend to impede the efficient flow of traffic. Shoppers often find themselves traveling long distances by car to reach the best shops and shopping centers.

Downtown Shopping in Amman

The historical section of the city is commonly referred as Downtown or City Center (called Balad in Arabic). Located in the eastern part of the city along narrow streets, this is a very crowded and congested area noted for it historic and religious monuments, small shops, and inexpensive restaurants and food outlets.

It's where many tourists visit famous sites, such as the Roman Theater, Roman Forum, Nymphaeum, and the Grand Husseini Mosque.

While you will find the Gold Souk (50+ jewelry shops) and some handicraft and souvenir shops in the Downtown area (try the famous al-Afghani shop, opposite Husseini Mosque, for an interesting selection of souvenirs, handicrafts, and collectibles), for the most part there's not much quality shopping here for those in search of the best of the best Jordan has to offer.

But this area, with its exotic sights and sounds, colorful food and spice markets, and interesting people, can be a fun shopping and cultural experience.

Most shops in this area cater to local residents, who are some of the least affluent in Amman. Consequently, you'll find many small shops offering relatively inexpensive consumer goods in this area.

This is a good place to buy traditional clothes in a market setting where haggling is expected. Amidst the popular juice bars and ice cream (locally made) shops, you'll also find several shops offering perfumes, olive oil soap, Dead Sea products, and spices.

Be sure to bargain when shopping in this area. Major Downtown shopping streets include King Talal Street and King Faysal Street.

Suburban Shopping (West Amman)

The best shopping in Amman for visitors lies in the more affluent neighborhoods, which are west of the Downtown area in the city's suburbs.

Experiencing explosive growth over the past decade, these areas are closely associated with particular traffic intersections (numbered “Circles”) that extend west along the main east-west thoroughfare - Zahran Road. This road is punctuated with several numbered (3-7) travel circles.

Some of Amman's most interesting shopping starts in Old Jebel Amman, which is centered around the 1st and 2nd Circles. As you leave the downtown area going west, be sure to visit several shops and galleries along Rainbow Street (also known as Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Street).

This is a pleasant shopping street noted for its lovely villas, which were built in the 1920s and 1930s.

Rainbow Street is located in Old Amman immediately off the southeast side of the 1st Circle and near the British Council. Here you'll find such shops and galleries as Jordan River Design, Duinde Gallery, Jordan Valley Antique, Orient Antique Shop, and Balian Ceramics.

A few of these shops, such as Jordan River Design and Balian Ceramics, have their own websites, which feature their backgrounds and product selections. For a close-up view of artist/owner Salam Kanaan and his Duinde Gallery at 69 Rainbow Street, visit this YouTube video clip as well as the gallery's website:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=O8wvgB1fKl8
www.salam-kanaan.com

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W3M_BU-0Sq0

Behind the InterContinental Hotel is the Al Aydi Antique Gallery (Jordan Craft Development Centre) for traditional Jordanian “toub” clothing and silver jewelry.

The area north of the 4th and 5th Circles - Shmeisan - is known for its upscale hotels (Four Seasons, Marriott, Sheraton, Radisson SAS, Le Meridien), embassies, and government offices.

In addition to several top quality hotel shops, you'll also find one of Jordan's best handicraft shops at the northern end of Shmeisan - Jordan Design and Trade Centre, which is operated by the Noor al-Hussein Foundation (Queen Noor).

If you stay in this area, you'll be close to four of Amman's major shopping areas and malls:

Swefiyah shopping area: 5-minute drive or 5 kilometers
Abdoun Shopping Mall: 7-minute drive or 8 kilometers
Zara Shopping Centre: 12-minute drive or 10 kilometers
Mecca Shopping Mall: 12-minute drive or 10 kilometers

Major Shopping Centers in Amman

Amman's major shopping centers include the following:

Mecca Mall (www.meccamall.jo)
Abdoun Mall (www.guide2jordan.com)
Amman Mall
Zara Shopping Centre
Plaza Mall (www.plaza-mall.net)
City Mall (www.citymall.com.jo)

Hotel Shops in Amman

Be sure to survey shops and shopping arcades in Amman's top hotels. Many of them offer excellent quality and unique products for discerning shoppers.

The Four Seasons Hotel's shopping arcade, for example, includes the Alexander the Great Gallery, which offers an excellent selection of gold and silver jewelry, semi-precious stones, Islamic art, antique silver, bronze items, glass, porcelain, crystal, furniture, lithographs, daggers, and much more.

When visiting the Four Seasons and InterContinental hotels, be sure to check with their concierges for recommendations on Amman's best shops. These hotels tend to have the best concierges who are very knowledgeable about Amman and Jordan, including the very best restaurants and entertainment venues.

Best Shops in Amman

Some of the best shops in Amman include the following:

Al-Afghani - antiques, silver, souvenirs, decorative items
Opposite Husseini Mosque (Downtown)
Also, branch shops in Jebel Hussein and Al Weibdeh
Tel. 567-6650

Balian Ceramics - ceramics from Israel
8 Rainbow Street (1st Circle, just below the Jordan River Foundation showroom)
Tel. 462-3399
www.armenianceramics.com

Beit al-Bawadi (Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development) - ceramics and weavings
Fawzi Qaw Street (Abdoun)
Tel. 593-0070
www.beitalbawadi.com

Dar Al Anda Art Gallery - paintings and sculptures
Majdoline Al-Ghezawi Al-Ghoul (Jebel Al Weibdeh, near Darat Al Funnun)
Tel. 462-9597
www.daralanda.com

Darat al Funun - paintings and sculpture
Nadeem Al Malah Street, near Lozmela Hospital (Jebel Al Weibdeh)
Tel. 464-3252
www.daratalfunun.org

Duinde Gallery - paintings and antiques
69 Rainbow Street (Jebel Amman, 1st Circle, near Jordan River Design)
Tel. 465-9459
www.salam-kanaan.com

Gold Souk (50+ shops) - gold and gold jewelry
Off King Faysal Street (Downtown)

Jordan Design and Trade Center - arts, crafts, home furnishings
Noor al-Hussein Foundation
Opposite Amman Orchid Hotel (4th or 5th Circles, Shmeisani)
Tel. 560 7460
www.nooralhusseinfoundation.org

Jordan River Foundation - arts, crafts, home furnishings
(Established in 1995 and chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania)
Rainbow Street (Jebel Amman, 1st Circle)
Tel. 4612169
www.jordanriver.jo

Kan Zaman Village - antiques, handicrafts, and jewelry center
Off Airport Highway (15 kilometers south of Amman, take Madaba exit)
Tel. 412-8391

Mufida Mosaic Art - mosaic art and craft objects
Tel. 581-7721
www.martmosaic.com

Wild Jordan
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
Othman bin Affan Street, off Rainbow Street (Jebel Amman, 1st Circle)
Tel. 461-6523
http://www.rscn.org.jo/NatureCenterOffers.asp?ID=ctr2_5

SHOPPING AQABA

Aqaba, a resort city of 86,000 inhabitants, takes shopping seriously since it is a special economic zone with duty-free shopping.

The downtown area is filled with small jewelry, handicraft, and souvenir stores offering everything from colorful sand bottles and hand-woven Bedouin rugs to water pipes (hubbly-bubbly), men's headscarves (kufiyyas), paintings, daggers, and tailored men's clothes.

Being a duty-free area, many shops also offer the usual collection of electronic goods, clothes, accessories, perfumes, tobacco, and related imported products.

The main shopping street here is Raghadan. Be sure to visit Aqaba Market and Jerusalem Market (Yarmuk Street). The major shopping and entertainment centers include:

Aqaba Gateway
Aqaba City Center (www.aqabacitycenter.com)
Dream Mall
Shweikh Commercial Center

Since many tourists are out touring during the day, taking day trips to nearby Wadi Rum and Petra, or on the beaches or scuba diving, shopping tends to be a very popular evening activity.

Indeed, it's a form of evening entertainment. In fact, many shops in Aqaba stay open until midnight. The concierge at the InterContinental Hotel can offer some good shopping recommendations, as he does in this informative film clip on Aqaba:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=FGAiSL2kXog

One of best places to shop in Wadi Musa for antiques, jewelry, rugs, sand art, and souvenirs is the long-established Sandcastle Bazaar (www.petra-sandcastle.com). It's located along Tourist Street, close to the Silk Road Hotel and about 200 meters from the Visitors Centre (entrance) to Petra. The good stuff tends to be located in the back of the shop.

Also, look for Made in Jordan, which offers good quality arts, crafts, and souvenirs from many sources throughout Jordan.

Near Wadi Musa you'll find a silver workshop where women produce silver jewelry that’s available in several local shops.

SHOPPING JERASH

Jerash has a small bazaar set up for day trippers. It includes more than 15 stops offering the usual selection of arts, crafts, and souvenirs found elsewhere in Jordan.

If you attend the annual Jerash Festival of Culture and Art in July/August, you'll have many opportunities to shop for good quality arts and crafts from Jordan and elsewhere in the region.

SHOPPING THE DEAD SEA AREA

The Dead Sea area offers shopping opportunities in the major hotels and resorts. Look for Dead Sea health products – soaps, lotions, shampoos, etc. The Rivage Dead Seas (www.rivageline.com), for example, produces a popular line of skincare and beauty items, which are available in many hotel shops and shopping centers in Amman, as well as abroad. (In the U.S., visit www.rivageusa.net.)

SHOPPING THE BORDER CROSSINGS

All of the major border crossings have duty-free shops offering the usual array of imported goods at ostensibly bargain prices. You'll have to judge for yourself whether or not their offerings are indeed a good deal. It usually depends on whether you come from a country with high import duties or one that is relatively tax free.

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