Amman, 1961

February 12, 2013 at 3:05 pm · Filed under Amman

It’s hard to relate to the city in the image, especially as it isn’t distant history. 1961. That’s the year my mother was born. In this photograph though, Amman reminds me more of Assassin’s Creed than the city whose streets I grew up in.

UPDATE:
Long-time blog friend Chris has shared below image of Nablus, and I guess I agree that Magnum have the wrong caption. It looks like the same mosque.






9 Comments »

  1. Rima Saifi

    February 12, 2013 @ 4:49 pm

    Color it Ruba , it will look different!

  2. vivian

    February 12, 2013 @ 9:44 pm

    I was a frequent visitor of Amman for years. I remember myself making a water colour painting 15 years ago; a view of Jabal al Zuhour in Amman. I gave it to somebody, and recently it was given to me back again. I hardly recognized the view…. So much had been changed! Now this photograph you share is almost unbelievable for me….

  3. Craig

    February 13, 2013 @ 2:11 am

    The town I live in here in Southern California was an old stage coach stop and later a train station when they first built the railroads in the wild west, so it’s been around quite some time. But all the surrounding areas were orange groves in 1961. You’d never know that now. It’s all 100% developed, from the ocean right up to the mountains. Strange to think how much some areas can change in such a short period of time, isn’t it? While other areas remain much the same for centuries. Personally, I think it’s a good sign when areas change radically. Means they are dynamic, right? :)

  4. bashbash

    February 13, 2013 @ 11:37 am

    I don’t think this is Amman! The architectural language does not match the region.

    For one, the square-plan tower minaret in the foreground is a feature of western Islamic architecture and is popular North Africa and Spain. Also, there are way too many domes. Typically in Jordan, the very few traditional buildings found have flat roofs and are almost never domed.

    So in spite of the sublime image in the article above, I think old Amman look more like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39411748@N06/6128442794/

  5. Hussein

    February 13, 2013 @ 1:46 pm

    Roba, now way the image above is Amman! it must be Jerusalem or Nablus..

  6. Roba

    February 13, 2013 @ 2:10 pm

    Picture is from here: http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult_VPage&VBID=2K1HZOUXJZWKS&SMLS=1&RW=1423&RH=784&PN=3#/SearchResult_VPage&VBID=2K1HZOUXJZWKS&SMLS=1&RW=1423&RH=784&PN=3

    Magnum is quite trust worthy with their record keeping, I’m sure :)

  7. Hussein

    February 13, 2013 @ 2:24 pm

    I agree, magnum is trusted.. but look at the minarets, we do not have such style! and there is a huge building in the right upper corner, with a dome, it could be a church..

    this is must be Jerusalem, not Amman, sorry Magnum :)

  8. Roba

    February 13, 2013 @ 2:26 pm

    Let’s email them! :)

  9. Hussein

    February 19, 2013 @ 5:13 pm

    This even a better clue, Nablus 1962 :)
    http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an23565285

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