Maps of Amman

The other day in a five star hotel I heard a tourist ask for a map of Amman. The man at the front desk politely apologized that he didn’t have any maps, but that the hotel gift shop had some for sale. In the shop the maps sold for JD 3.500! In most cities one can get a free map in a hotel just for the asking.

I asked a travel agent why there were no free or cheap maps available and he said that when he wanted to print his own maps for his tourists, he was not allowed to do so. The only authority that can print maps in Jordan is the National Geographic Society. I would hope that National Geographic Society doesn’t have a monopoly on maps which are, after all, public information. The government and the private sector are putting a lot of effort toward making Jordan a tourist destination. Maps of cities, towns, and sites in the country should be part of this effort.

And now I wonder how we will locate the addresses we want using the new blue numbers on buildings. We need street names that are easy to read and a grid to help us find them. Before long we who live here may need to rely on a good map since Amman is expanding and the country is changing.

ASH