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History of Amman Timeline
(c. 7250 BCE – Present)Amman, the capital of Jordan, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Its history spans thousands of years, beginning as Rabbath Ammon, the capital of the Ammonites. The city later flourished under Roman rule as Philadelphia, part of the Decapolis league, and continued through Byzantine and Islamic periods before experiencing decline and a remarkable modern revival after becoming Jordan's capital in 1921. More Less
Ancient and Classical Eras
Amman becomes capital of the Ammonites
1300 BC - 1201 BC
In the 13th century BC, Amman was the capital of the Ammonite Kingdom, becoming known as 'Rabat Amman'. The city derives its name from the ancient people of the Ammonites, whose capital it had been since that era.
Image source: Amman
Greeks conquer the city and rename it Philadelphia
300 BC - 299 BC
In the 3rd century BC, the city was conquered by the Greeks and renamed Philadelphia. It later became part of the Nabataean and Roman realms.
Nabataean Kingdom established at Petra
300 BC - 299 BC
The Arab Nabataeans exploited the Seleucid-Ptolemaic wars to establish their Nabatean Kingdom centered in Raqmu (Petra) in the third century BC, which kept Philadelphia in a border zone.
Image source: Nabataean Kingdom
Nabataeans gain control in Philadelphia
200 BC - 199 BC
The Nabataeans exercised a form of control in Philadelphia with Seleucid decline in the second century BC. Their presence in Decapolis cities was prominent, with substantial archaeological evidence found in Philadelphia from the first century AD.
Romans conquer the Levant under Pompey
63 BC
The Romans conquered much of the Levant under Pompey in 63 BC, inaugurating a period of imperial rule over Philadelphia that lasted for four centuries.
Image source: Pompey
Philadelphia rebuilt in classical Roman style
100 - 199
The second century AD saw Philadelphia thriving, with the city rebuilt in the classical Roman style, featuring a large theater, an odeon, a nymphaeum, public baths, a forum, colonnaded streets, and a propylaeon connecting to a temple dedicated to Hercules on Citadel Hill.
Image source: Roman Theatre (Amman)
Start of the Byzantine period
300 - 399
With the beginning of the 4th century AD, the Eastern Roman Empire adopted Christianity as the state religion under Constantine, starting the Byzantine period in Philadelphia.
Image source: Byzantine Empire
Historian Malchus of Philadelphia
400 - 499
Philadelphia produced a well-known historian named Malchus in the 5th century AD, an Arab origin scholar who resided in Constantinople and produced a 500-page book about the history of the Byzantine Empire.
Islamic and Medieval Periods
Rashidun Caliphate conquers the city
600 - 699
In the 7th century, Philadelphia was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate, who restored its original Semitic name and called the city Amman.
Image source: Rashidun Caliphate
Earthquakes devastate Amman
700 - 799
Amman's importance declined by the mid-8th century after damage caused by several earthquakes rendered the city uninhabitable for much of its former population.
Key Facts
- Amman was originally known as Rabbath Ammon, the capital of the ancient Ammonite kingdom, with evidence of settlement dating back to the Neolithic period at 'Ain Ghazal.
- Under Ptolemaic and later Roman rule, the city was renamed Philadelphia and became an important member of the Decapolis league of ten cities.
- The well-preserved Roman Theatre, built around 165 CE during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius, remains one of Amman's most famous historical landmarks.
- After centuries of decline and near abandonment by the 15th century, Amman was revitalized when Emir Abdullah I made it the capital of the Emirate of Transjordan in 1921.
- Modern Amman grew rapidly through waves of immigration, including Circassian settlers in 1878 and Palestinian refugees after 1948, transforming it into Jordan's largest city and political, cultural, and economic center.
Source
This History of Amman timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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