Merhaba!
Welcome! Our site features the work of our blog abroad correspondents and has everything you need to know about our study abroad programs!
Welcome! Our site features the work of our blog abroad correspondents and has everything you need to know about our study abroad programs!
Al-diwan, or in English, "the guest's place". Built in 1924 and therefore sealing its name as Amman's oldest building (other than the ancient Roman amphitheater), it is open to all guests. I came to Duke's Diwan a few times throughout my time in Jordan, once in the very beginning and of course in the end. As I sat on the antique couches and sipped Jordanian shai with friends, I took in the history and met people old and young, from near and far. It's a leisurely place, quiet, with the only sound of soft voices and the hum of traffic and horns from the street. Photo credit: DaVega, 2019
The Duke's Diwan served as the first post office in Amman when it was first constructed in 1924, then was converted into the Haifa Hotel in 1948. After many other transformations, it was opened by the Duke Mamdouh Bisharat to the public as a community space. The Duke can still be occasionally seen in the Diwan, chatting with guests. Photo credit: DaVega, 2019
I visited the Duke's Diwan in my third week of study abroad with AMIDEAST Jordan and revisited on my last day, and each time I felt the warmth of its cultural and historical richness. Photo credit: DeVega, 2019
Inside the Diwan al-Douq. Photo credit: DaVega, 2019
I first came to the Diwan with my friend Ola, who lives in Amman and is originally from Damascus. Photo credit: DaVega, 2019
At the end of the program, I revisited the place with friends Jules and Ghufran whom I met at AMIDEAST. Photo credit: DaVega, 2019
In a way, the Diwan is symbolic of my study abroad in Jordan and the cyclical nature of life. It is a guest's place, with an open door to welcome you, and also from which to exit. However, the nature of the place leaves you to wonder when you will return. Photo credit: DaVega, 2019
