Art. Music. Film. All three reside under the roof of the historic Kessler Theater. Born in 1942 and owned temporarily by Gene Autry, the Kessler is proof that good things CAN happen after dark. The Kessler fosters an ambiance of hip and ageless fun with live music, a cinema, and art shows. Its quirky location in the Historical Arts District dubbed “X+” only adds to its mystique.

The Cave of the Seven Sleepers in ar-Rajib village ties Islamic tradition to physical geography. According to the Quran, devout youths fleeing Roman persecution around AD 250 took refuge here, awakening 309 lunar years later in a testament to divine protection. The site, rediscovered in 1951, now includes a mosque built above the cavern, where an imam often explains the story’s theological importance. Visitors enter through the mosque (head cover required for women) to see the rock-hewn cave and adjacent Byzantine-era tombs. Unlike ornate shrines, the site’s power lies in its simplicity: the low-ceilinged grotto and quiet courtyard encourage reflection. While Jordan isn’t the only country claiming this legend (others exist in Turkey and Syria), the presence of 3rd-century Christian graves lends archaeological weight.

Museo Jumex is a contemporary art museum that displays a private art collection owned by the sole heir to the Jumex fruit juice fortune. The exhibitions include works by big names like Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Marcel Duchamp, Andreas Gursky and Olafur Eliasson. Apart from the art on display, enjoy the beautiful building, a nice cafe and a view of the Soumaya building from the upper floor balcony.

The Duke’s Diwan is a time capsule of early 20th-century Amman, hidden in plain sight on the busy King Faisal Street. Built in 1924 as the city’s first post office, this Ottoman-era stone house later became the Haifa Hotel before heritage activist Mamdouh Bisharat ("The Duke of Mukheibeh") rescued it from demolition in 2001. Today, its creaking wooden floors lead through rooms frozen in Jordan’s past, complete with antique typewriters, sepia photos of camel caravans on dusty roads, and a balcony overlooking downtown’s metamorphosis. More than a museum, it’s a living diwan (gathering space): poets hold readings at the carved oak table, while artists riff under the Arabian archways. Admission is free, and the duke himself sometimes holds court, spinning tales of old Amman over cardamom coffee. Don’t miss the upstairs gallery, where rotating exhibits spotlight Jordan’s underground creatives.