The Cobra helicopter
Hanging beneath the skylight.
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Jordan's national tank museum in south Amman, set up by royal decree in 2007 and opened by King Abdullah II on 29 January 2018. Its 20,000-square-metre building holds about 158 tanks and armoured vehicles in chronological order from the First World War to today, with six more in the garden. It tells the story of the world's wars alongside Jordan's own, with halls on the Arab Revolt, the defence of Jerusalem in 1948 and the Battle of Karameh in 1968. Many vehicles served in the Jordanian army; others came as gifts or in exchanges with foreign museums. The Jordanian architect Zaid Daoud shaped the building as a modern desert fortress, since a tank is itself a moving fort. Past a Jordanian Challenger at the entrance, the tour opens with a model of Leonardo da Vinci's armoured vehicle, a replica of a British First World War tank and a Rolls-Royce armoured car of the Arab Revolt era. Then come the Second World War's American Sherman, Soviet T-34 and German Panzers, a recreated stretch of Jerusalem's walls, and the Centurion tanks Jordan fielded. A Cobra attack helicopter, the type the King flew, hangs from the skylight, and a cutaway tank shows how little room its crew had. On announced summer dates, historic tanks roar round the outdoor track. It stands in Al-Muqabalain beside King Abdullah II Park, about 5 km south of the Roman Theatre and 4 km from the Jordan Museum; a taxi is easiest, and parking is free. Vehicle enthusiasts can add the Royal Automobile Museum, about 12 km north-west.
Hanging beneath the skylight.
How little room the crew had.
The 1968 battle and its vehicles.
Al-Muqabalain, Al-Sakhra Al-Musharrafa Street, beside King Abdullah II Park, south Amman
Yes. The interactive hall has colouring and building games for small children and virtual reality for older ones, the World of Tanks game is free (under-12s need a guardian's consent), and guides can point you to three tanks you may climb for photos.
Yes. The museum runs free guided tours for individuals and groups; groups should book ahead by phone.