The blue dome
Blue mosaic outside and an open, column-free volume within.
Berthold Werner — CC BY 3.0 · Justwiki — CC BY 4.0 · Justwiki — CC BY 4.0 · Justwiki — CC BY 4.0
The blue-domed mosque that has become Amman's landmark on the skyline, and the only one in the city that formally opens to non-Muslims. It was built between 1982 and 1989 in memory of King Abdullah I, the kingdom's founder. The octagonal blue dome spans some thirty-five metres with not a single column beneath it — the interior volume is entirely open, which is the first thing you notice on entering. The blue mosaic that covers it outside gives the building its colour. It holds about three thousand worshippers, with room for two thousand more in the courtyard. The interior is comparatively plain against the exterior: geometric ornament, Arabic calligraphy on the walls and one large chandelier, without excess. Light falls from the windows of the dome and shifts through the day. A small Islamic museum adjoins it, holding photographs, artefacts and objects associated with King Abdullah I himself. The visit is short — half an hour is enough — and it stands in Jabal Al-Weibdeh near downtown, combining with the Jordan Museum and Rainbow Street into a half-day. A church stands opposite it across the road; the juxtaposition is deliberate and often pointed out in Amman.
Blue mosaic outside and an open, column-free volume within.
Photographs, artefacts and objects associated with King Abdullah I.
Standing across the road — a deliberate juxtaposition, often remarked on.
Jabal Al-Weibdeh, Amman
Mornings and afternoons outside the five prayer times, with a long closure around the Friday prayer. Hours change in Ramadan. Mid-morning, between the dawn and noon prayers, is the safest slot.
No — abayas and headscarves are lent to women at the door at no extra charge. Modest dress is expected of everyone, and shorts are not acceptable for men.
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