Nymphaeum (Amman)

Nymphaeum

The Nymphaeum in Downtown Amman
Location	Amman, Jordan
Coordinates	31°57′01″N35°56′10″E / 31.9503324°N 35.9361693°E / 31.9503324; 35.9361693

Small model of the Nymphaeum in front of the site, 2024

The Nymphaeum in a different light

The Nymphaeum is a partially preserved Roman public fountain in Amman, Jordan.

It used to be located along the Seil Amman, a water stream that had dried up in the 20th century. The Nymphaeum is located a short distance from other Roman ruins, including a forum (in the location of today's Hashemite Plaza), the Roman Theater and the Odeon.

Such fountains were very popular in Roman cities, and Philadelphia, as Amman was known by ancient Greeks and Romans, was no exception. ^[1] This nymphaeum is believed to have contained a 600-square-meter (6,500 sq ft) pool which was three meters (9.8 ft) deep and was continuously refilled with water. ^[2]

It is at the crossing of Ibn al-Atheer and Quraysh streets in downtown area.

History

The nymphaeum was built in the 2nd century CE, during the same period as the nearby theatre and odeon.

Restoration

In September 2015, archaeology students from the University of Jordan, Petra University and the Hashemite University as well as professional technicians, funded by the U.S. embassy, started restoring the site. Their work consists in cleaning the structure stone by stone, and in replacing portions of stone lost due to erosion, cracking and flaking. ^[3]

See also

• Philadelphia
• Seil Amman
• Roman baths in Amman

References

1. "Nymphaeum Overview". Sergi Reboredo. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
2. "Tourism in Amman" . Retrieved 2015-08-24.
3. "Archaeologists on a mission to breathe life into long-abandoned downtown site". Jordan Times. 2015-09-13. Retrieved 2016-07-31.