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.
Street art of Amman.
— Eve Holt (@evefrancisholt) October 24, 2021
A brilliant walking tour with Aladdin @undergroundamman on Insta.
Such a great way to get to know the city’s heart and soul plus an education in Hip Hop. pic.twitter.com/im1UZnXCxv
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.
Thank you @undergroundamman for the amazing tour. Thank you for all the artists who shared their work with us and made our city #amman more beautiful! #graffiti #streetart #jabalamman #weibdeh #popart #jordan https://t.co/e88WwySkDS pic.twitter.com/Uh3aAuIyFB
— Hasan Sughayer (@hasansughayer) July 15, 2022
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.
? Auction Item Highlight ? Underground Amman Tour
— Community Peacemaker Teams (@cpt_intl) September 17, 2021
This virtual street art tour opens a window into the underground artistic expression in Amman that we hope will provide you with a new perspective and understanding of this ancient city. Bid today at https://t.co/K0mi36PvOb pic.twitter.com/N1CKQ061I0
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.
Loved learning more about the histories, cultures, stories and struggles with the Amman underground street art & hip hop tour. So many creative messages and practices of community, cyphers and subversion. #loveAmman pic.twitter.com/rShJD0eN7B
— Rachel Tavernor (@rtavernor) May 7, 2022
“This hour and a half walking tour offers a glimpse of every phase of downtown’s evolution,” Arafeh added.