March 6-The Jabal Al Qalaa’s -- also known as the Citadel – renovation and rehabilitation (in 2009) in Amman is expected to attract more visitors to the site, said Shan Tsay, the site’s manager. She said that while the Citadel is a significant landmark located in the heart of Amman, there were little or no local visitors coming to the site. “Visitors are usually schoolchildren. Families seldom visit the site," she told reporters during a media tour this week organised by the ministry,” she added.
According to official figures, 16,100 Jordanians visited the Citadel in 2008 compared to 143,600 foreigners, while in 2009 the figure stood at 16,800 Jordanians and 174,300 foreigners. Tsay said that while there are no exact figures for the past few months (this year), the indicators show that there has been an improvement in the number of visitors.
The new facilities include a resting area close to the entrance with bathrooms, a refreshments stand, inscriptions about the historic site and the Amman Museum, which contains relics from other countries as well.
The Citadel’s renovation was carried out by the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism, Greater Amman Municipality and the USAID-Jordan Tourism Development Project last year in a bid to make it more attractive to local visitors.