Downtown Amman

[4] Various development projects were initiated by public and private actors which dramatically changed the character of the neighborhood in recent decades, even resulting in a general "decline in human presence" by the 2000s compared to previous eras.

Downtown Amman is made up of a myriad of souq[2] markets and independently-owned businesses, including informal and marginalized economies.

The area is a core place for the informal commercial and service sector, via hundreds of street vendors (thousands during the peak time) and a specialized market for the Asian migrant workforce, especially on Friday.

[3] The area's long history, having been built up over ancient ruins, leaves a large number of historical sites, such as the nearby Amman Citadel with the Umayyad Palace, the Hashemite Plaza with the Roman Theatre and the Odeon, and the Roman Nymphaeum.

Scholars reason that part of the draw to this location in ancient times was likely the proximity to the now mostly-dry Amman River.