Photos taken by Paloma Dean, (American University), Student Correspondent for CET Jordan, Spring 2026
First Impressions of Amman, Jordan
I took this photo about 30 minutes before I landed in Jordan. This was my first time studying in a culture I do not know and I remember thinking how beautiful the skies and the fields in Jordan were as we flew over them. I think that was when it truly hit me that I was going to spend the next four months living in a beautiful new culture while learning Arabic and becoming a more well rounded and experienced person.
One of the things that has struck me the most about Amman is the art. On nearly every street there is at least one—typically two or three—walls or buildings covered in beautiful murals. These murals all depict different things, some of them advocate for Palestine, others for religious peace, this one for women’s rights but they all carry this tangible sentiment of hope for the future. Walking around Amman and discovering all of the stunning pieces of art that decorate the city is truly a unique experience and was a wonderful introduction to Amman for me.
Amman is truly a gorgeous city, the sun rises perfectly over my balcony every morning and watching it rise has become one of my daily rituals since I moved in. The city is gorgeous at all times but it absolutely glows in the early morning light.
Exploring Amman
On our first weekend in Amman my groupmates and I explored the old ruins in Amman’s city center. As we were heading to the famous roman theatre, we stumbled onto a beautiful Nymphaeum in the middle of Wast Al-Balad, it was almost completely deserted and we were able to explore all over the place. It was an absolutely stunning ruin and probably my favorite in Amman.
Jordan is home to some of the oldest olive trees in the world. This is not one of them. Still, this tree and all others like it are incredibly important to Jordanian culture and commerce, the tree has become an important symbol of resilience and heritage and it was very cool to see one in person for the first time.
This photo was from the Roman citadel at the top of Amman, the citadel is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places and getting to explore the ruins left behind by centuries of people was fascinating. Amongst all of the historical ruins this flag and the way it flies over the Amman skyline really stood out to me. I thought it was incredibly striking how you could see the old and the new Amman together from one place.
Weekend in Jerash
Over this weekend our neighbours invited some of us to go camping in Jerash and immerse ourselves a little bit more in Arabic. That night was one of the most fun I have had in a while. It was wonderful to make friends with local Jordanians and share our culture with them as they shared theirs with us.
Our night camping was a wonderful immersion in Jordanian culture, the people were incredibly special and, despite having known us for all of five minutes, it instantly felt warm and inviting. I got to help prepare the food for dinner while getting to know the other campers. It was such a friendly and warm experience that will stick with me for a long time.
Jordanian scenery is so incredibly beautiful to me, it is unlike any forest I have seen in America and it is just amazing to be around. As the semester goes on and the wet season ends I hope I can get out and see more of Jordanian nature.
I am a big time animal lover, and there are so many amazing animals all over Jordan. The cats all over the cities is not a secret, nor is the fact that there are goat herds all over the country but it has been really wonderful to see all sorts of animals while we are out and about.