Amman, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a mosaic of ancient civilizations each of which have left their indelible mark on the city. This is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, mentioned in the Bible as Rabbath-Ammon, capital of the Ammonites; called Philadelphia after the Ptolemaic ruler Philadelphus; ruled by the Seleucids and Nabateans before becoming part of the Roman Decapolis League (a loose alliance of 10 Roman-ruled cities); succumbing to the Byzantines before finally falling to the Islamic armies. Today it is a fascinating city of contrasts.