Amman Citadel & Turkish Baths

On our last day in Amman, some of us wanted to explore the city one last time. Most places were closed because of Ramadan, but some of the major tourist places were still open. We decided to visit the Amman Citadel. The Amman Citadel is located on one of the hills of Amman and features a variety of ancient architecture.

Umayyad Mosque

Interior of the Umayyad Mosque

In the afternoon, we went to experience a Turkish Bath in Amman. These baths were extremely popular throughout Islamic history, and continue to be popular today. Traditionally, brides and grooms visit the Turkish Baths before their wedding. 

When you begin the bathing process, you enter a sauna to sweat off as much dirt as possible. It was the hottest sauna I've ever been in. At first I couldn't breathe because of the hot air. But once you sit down it's a little more bearable. 

After the sauna, we sat in a large hot tub. It was so relaxing to just sit in the hot water and sip cold pomegranate slushies. One by one, the bath workers took us aside to give us a really good scrub down. It was kinda disgusting to see how much dirt they were able to get off of us. 

The final step was a full body massage. That was the best part of the entire treatment. When it was over, my skin felt smooth and clean all over. It was the first time since coming to Amman that I didn't feel dusty. It was a great way to unwind after a stressful week studying for finals. 

Catherine A.