Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a sprawling modern city of about 1.5 million people, spread across seven hills. From the top of Amman's Citadel, the sand-colored vistas of houses, office buildings, government ministries, and schools spread out somewhat monotonously in all directions. Amman is an excellent base for seeing nearby sites like Jerash, and there are plenty of hotels and restaurants and some interesting sights to see but most people don't linger here.