Royal Tank Museum

The Royal Tank Museum, with around 110 tanks on show, is one of Amman's more surprising attractions. Established in 2007 on the directive of King Abdullah II, it opened to the public on 29 January 2018, timed to mark the centenary of the Arab Revolt and the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Karameh. It sits within the King Abdullah II Gardens in Al-Muqabalain, about five kilometres south of the city centre.

The building itself is worth a look. Designed by the Jordanian architect Zaid Daoud, it is shaped like a square, two-storey fort inspired by the desert castles of the Jordanian Badia, with a glass dome at its centre from which a Cobra attack helicopter is suspended. Inside, around 20,000 square metres of exhibition space are divided into thirteen halls holding about 110 tanks and hundreds of other military items, displayed in chronological order.

Highlights include a replica British Mark I tank from the First World War, a model of Leonardo da Vinci's fighting vehicle, Second World War German Panther and Panzer IV tanks, a Grant and a Sherman, and British Centurion, Chieftain, Conqueror and Comet tanks. A bisected M48 Patton lets you see inside the crew compartment, and the Battle of Karameh hall uses vehicles from the 1968 engagement to tell its story. The Al-Hussein, a tank developed in Jordan, is also on show.

The museum suits military history enthusiasts, families with children who like big machines, and anyone looking for an indoor option on a hot day. It is accessible for wheelchair users. Allow at least two hours, and more if you want to read every panel. It opens from 10:00 to 16:00 in both summer and winter, and is closed on Tuesdays. Arriving soon after opening gives you the most time, as the halls are large and there is a lot to read. Because the halls follow a chronological order, even visitors with no special interest in tanks can follow the development of armoured warfare and Jordan's own military history through the twentieth century.

The museum is in the south of the city, at the junction of Al-Sakhra Al-Musharrafah Street and Jamal Badran Street, so the easiest way to reach it is by taxi or ride-hailing car. The King Abdullah II Gardens around it are pleasant for a short walk afterwards.