MESM'2008, August 26-28, 2008, Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan, Conference Venue

Throughout history, Amman has been inhabited by several civilizations. The first civilization on record is during the Neolithic period, around 8500 BC, when archaeological discoveries in 'Ain Ghazal, located in eastern Amman, showed evidence of not only a settled life but also the growth of artistic work, which suggests that a well-developed civilization inhabited the city at that time.

Click on the map to the right for a more detailed map of Jordan

Under the influence of the Roman culture, Philadelphia was reconstructed in typically grand Roman style with colonnaded streets, baths, an Amphitheater, and impressive public buildings. In 324 AD, Christianity became the religion of the empire and Philadelphia became the seat of a bishopric during the beginning of the Byzantine era. One of the churches of this period can be seen on the city's Citadel.

In 1921, Abdullah I chose Amman as seat of government for his newly-created state, the Emirate of Transjordan, and later as the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. As there was no palatial building, he started his reign from the station, with his office in a train car. Amman remained a small city until 1948, when the population expanded considerably due to an influx of Palestinian refugees from the occupied territories. Amman has experienced exceptionally rapid development since 1952 under the leadership of two Hashemite Kings, Hussein of Jordan and Abdullah II of Jordan.

The city's population continues to expand at a dizzying pace (fueled by refugees escaping the wartime events in the occupied territories and Iraq). The city received refugees from these countries on a number of occasions. The first wave of Palestinian refugees arrived from the occupied territories in 1948. A second wave after the Six Day War in 1967. A third wave of Palestinian and Jordanian and South East Asians, working as domestic servants, refugees arrived in Amman from Kuwait after the Gulf War of 1991. The first wave of Iraqi refugees settled in the city after the first Gulf War. A second wave also began arriving after the invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. During the last 10 years the amount of new building within the city has increased dramatically with new districts of the city being founded at a very rapid pace (particularly so in West Amman), straining the very scarce water supplies of Jordan as a whole, and exposing Amman to the hazards of rapid expansion in the absence of careful municipal planning.

Petra

Kerak

Jerash

Philadelphia University
Faculty of Engineering
P O Box 1, Jordan, 19392
Tel No: +962-6-4799000
Fax No: +962-6-4799037
Email: engineering@philadelphia.edu.jo or
alaubidy@gmail.com

The conference will be held at the Philadelphia University, our return site of MESM'2000 and MESM'2004. With an area of 500 dunums (120 acres), Philadelphia University is located on the outskirts north of Amman (24 km from the center) on the motorway from Amman to Jerash and Irbid. It is 725 meters (2380 ft) above sea level. The campus is situated in the heart of beautiful hills overlooking King Talal Dam. The location of the University makes it accessible to students from various cities and towns in Jordan. There will be shuttle buses available from Philadelphia University to and from the hotels for the conference participants.

By Plane

The city's main airport, Queen Alia International Airport, is situated about 30 minutes south of Amman and hosts the majority of the air travel to and from the country. Besides Royal Jordanian, more than 20 international air carriers fly into Queen Alia International Airport located 35 km south of Amman. The flying time from the major European cities is about four hours. The easiest way to get to downtown Amman from Airport is by taxi; the Journey takes 30-45 minutes, the fare is about 15JD which is equivalent to around $22. However, shuttle buses to the city centre bus station also available, leaving the Airport every half-hour.

Taxis are readily available outside the terminals. Shuttle buses also link QAIA with Amman’s Abdali city center terminal every half-hour between 06.00 and 23.00 and every hour between 23.00 - 06.00.
Tel: +962.(0)6 4453200/ +962 (0)6 445 3013.
Fax: +962.(0)6 4451136

Also located in Amman, Marka Airport mainly serves as a regional airport servicing domestic and nearby international routes. Home to airlines such as Royal Wings, Jordan Aviation, and Arab Wings, Marka Airport is operational 24 hours a day.
Tel: +962.(0)6 4891401
Fax: +962.(0)6 4891653

As Jordan’s gateway to the Red Sea region of Aqaba, King Hussein International Airport (KHIA) is approximately a 45 minute flight from either of Amman’s airports. Serviced by national and international carriers, KHIA is quickly growing to be a regional hub for both the holiday and business traveler alike.
Tel: +962.(0)3 2012111
Fax: +962.(0)3 2012397

By Train

The Hejaz Railway is a century old rail line that was used primarily for pilgrims to reach the holy city of Mecca and Medina but now the rail line is basically used by tourists. There are new projects that are being built to add more rail-lines in the Kingdom, most of which will go through Amman.

By Bus and Taxi

By land, the city has frequent bus connections to other cities in Jordan as well as to major cities in neighboring countries; the latter are also served by service taxis. Internal transport is served by a number of bus routes and taxis. Service taxis, which most often operate on fixed routes, are readily available and inexpensive. The main two bus and taxi stations are Abdali (near the King Abdullah Mosque, the Parliament and Palace of Justice) and Raghadan (near the Roman Amphitheater in Downtown).

By Car

Amman has a very extensive highway system that links every part of the city to one another. There are eight circles that one could use to go from one section of Amman to another. All major highways in Jordan pass through Amman as well. You can rent a car from AVIS or Hertz at Queen Alia Airport.

Tourist Facilities: Tourist facilities are widely available, although quality may vary depending on price and location. The local workweek for Jordanian government offices and most businesses is Saturday through Thursday. The embassies in Amman are open Sunday through Thursday.

Entry Requirements: A passport and visa are required. Visitors may obtain a visa for Jordan at international ports (also Amman Airport) of entry, not including the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge, upon arrival, for a fee. Be sure to have some cash with you to exchange money in order to obtain your visa, and again keep some cash when leaving the country to pay the airport taxes. Participants from non- Western European countries please check with the Jordanian Embassy in your country. Foreigners who wish to stay fourteen days or more in Jordan must register at a Jordanian police station by their fourteenth day in the country. Failure to do so subjects the traveler to a one Jordanian dinar (currently U.S. $1.40) per day overstay fine. This fine is usually assessed at departure.