Jordan’s 2,000-year-old World Cup theatre
Close to 2000 years ago, the Romans built a theatre in the heart of a city called Philadelphia as an entertainment hub for its citizens and as a symbolic reminder of Roman superiority.
The city was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate in the seventh century and renamed Amman, and is now the present-day capital of Jordan.
The structure survived the erosion of time and still stands proudly, and, interestingly, continues to retain its purpose of entertaining the masses.
In the month of June, the Roman theatre has become the converging point of the city’s football fans, who are turning up in thousands to watch their team compete in their maiden FIFA World Cup.
The theatre has been draped with giant Jordanian flags. The top row, which for its proximity to the sky was once referred to as ‘the gods’, displays cutouts of all 26 members of the Jordan national team.
All of Jordan’s matches are displayed on a big screen, and six thousand fans sit inside the colossal structure, curved out of limestone, and watch their countrymen make history.
“I tell my daughters that they are watching history,” says Omar. “They should enjoy this while it lasts, as we do not know if this will happen again.”
The whole population are staunchly behind their team. The lampposts, homes, and offices are covered with Jordanian flags, animated conversations about the team and players can be heard from every street corner, and a festive atmosphere has descended on the city.
Due to the recent US-Israeli war on Iran, tourism has markedly decreased in the country. Shops that were once directed towards tourists have now doubled as national team merchandise sellers.
The Jordan jerseys are everywhere. At Hashem, a famous 24-hour restaurant in downtown Amman, a little girl was begging for money from a family dining out. Interestingly, both the girl and the family's little boy were wearing Jordan forward Musa Altaamari’s No.10 jersey.
At the airport, a family of three were getting ready to board their plane, all decked in Jordan colours, including their six-month-old who was wearing a No.0 jersey on her back. Royal Jordanian Airlines staff were all wearing scarves with the hashtag – #11MillionStrong – as a nod to the population.
On the field, Jordan have lost both their games so far, losing 3-1 against Austria and 2-1 against Algeria. They are now gearing up for their final game against Lionel Messi’s Argentina on June 29.
Despite the poor results, there is no hint of disappointment from any of the fans.
“It’s okay. They played well and even scored against Algeria,” said Hana, a local fan. “We are just glad that they are playing and they are doing well. Maybe they should have drawn against Algeria, but that's okay.”
Now the nation waits for its final game in what has been a historic World Cup for them. Many believe it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially when they look at their neighbours, Iraq, who have had to wait 40 years for a second appearance.
A date with Argentina and Messi beckons for Jordan's celebrated stars. Like the previous two matches, this will also be shown in the Roman Theatre of Amman.
And no matter the result, the fans will turn up, sit down in the same place where their ancestors sat thousands of years ago, and cheer their hearts out for their team.
*Raiiq Ridwan is an UK-based doctor and traveller