Amman is a fascinating city of contrasts – a unique blend of old and new, situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley.

Expanded from its original seven hills to around 20, steadily progressing westward since the 1950s, and developing a split personality along the way.

Amman is the city of contrasts. For every chaotic souk, there’s a plush multi-storey shopping mall. For every hole-in-the-wall knafeh (sweet cheese dessert) joint, there’s also a fit-for-royalty fine-dining spot. The commercial heart of the city, ultra-modern buildings, hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques rub shoulders comfortably with traditional coffee shops and tiny artisan workshops. In Jabal al-Lweibdeh, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city, ancient and modern are synchronous.

The soundtrack -a cacophony of traffic and car horns honking from the streets below, soothed by the echoes of the call to prayer.