Underground Amman Tour offers glimpse into city’s hidden art scene

AMMAN — Underground Amman Tour, a weekly walk held on Fridays, provides a broader perspective of the ancient city Amman, by exploring the often hidden art scene in the heart downtown. 

“We aim to link ancient neighbourhoods in Amman with street art,” Ala’ El Deen Arafeh, founder of the initiative, told The Jordan Times on Saturday. 

Tourists get a sense of the achievements of Amman’s artists through graffiti painted on ancient buildings, said Arafeh. 

“Around 70 per cent of Amman’s street artists are females,” Arafeh highlighted. 

The tour begins in Jabal Amman, tourists walk through to Jabal Luweibdeh all the way to downtown Amman. 

Along the way, tourists get are shown 35 walls, each  painted by local artists. Tour guides explain the significance of each work of graffiti as well as introducing local artists to tourists. 

Arafeh added that during the tour, tourists also get the chance see hidden architectural gems of Amman. 

“Having this perfect combination of modern art and ancient architecture is what makes Amman so unique,” he noted. 

He said that Amman’s inhabitants have an artistic taste. “It is seen through the architecture, the randomness of the colours used for decorating houses,” said Arafeh. 

“This hour and a half walking tour offers a glimpse of every phase of downtown’s evolution,” Arafeh added.