Amman City Guide - Culture

The Royal Cultural Centre, just off the Interior Circle in Shmeisani and near the Regency Palace Hotel (tel: (06) 566 1026), is the number one venue for most cultural events. Classical and Arabic music is performed here as well as folk dancing and appearances by solo performers.

The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, in Jabal Al-Waibdeh (tel: (06) 463 0128; website: www.nationalgallery.org), is a complex of cinemas, theatres and exhibition space. It hosts a full programme of activities for which they produce a monthly programme. Details can also be found in the Jordan Times (website: www.jordantimes.com). This is also the venue for the Jordan Film Festival each May.

The main cinemas are the Galleria in the Sheraton Entertainment Centre, Abdoun Circle (tel: (06) 593 4793), Cinema City in the Mecca Shopping Mall (tel: (06) 551 9711), Grand Cinemas in the Zara Centre, Wadi Saqra (tel: (06) 461 3260) and Cine Le Royal, Third Circle Le Royal Hotel (tel: (06) 460 3022). These tend to have the latest releases but have been censored. Throughout downtown is a plethora of small cinemas showing dated movies that have been badly dubbed and heavily censored.