Instantly recognizable for its iconic Treasury façade carved into the towering rock walls at Petra, the country of Jordan has no shortage of astonishing treasures. Visitors can experience the best of this country’s heritage, culture and art at these fascinating museums:

• The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts: This museum houses one of the Middle East’s most impressive collections, including works by 520 artists from 43 Arab and Islamic countries. Among the more than 2,800 works are paintings, ceramics, sculptures, video art, photography, weaving, graphic arts and installations.
• Jordan Folklore Museum: Occupying a space within the western section of the Roman Theatre in Amman, this collection was established by the Department of Antiquities and includes items representing the cultures of the desert, and the villages and cities of Jordan, along with displays of food utensils and traditional clothing.
• The Exhibition of Arab Heritage and Recent Discoveries: Recent archaeological finds are the focus here, with artifacts spanning human history in present-day Jordan including items from the Bronze Age, Nabataean and Roman periods, plus Byzantine and early Islamic mosaics. Highlights include limestone sculptures of water nymphs recently found at the Nymphaeum in Amman, gold and silver from the Ptolemaic hoard uncovered at Iraq Al-Amir, and architectural elements that were part of the temples of the Winged Lions and Qasr Al-Bint in Petra.
• The Royal Automobile Museum: See Jordan’s history through the lens of private transportation, with numerous examples of vintage and modern royal cars, video footage and rare archival photos, plus a library and multimedia room. Electronic narration in five languages, including English, makes navigating the displays simple.
• Jordan Archaeological Museum: Since 1951, this fascinating museum — set on the Citadel Hill in Amman — has intrigued visitors with artifacts dating back to the Paleolithic era, as well as pottery, glass, inscriptions, statuaries, coins, flint and metal tools through the modern Islamic Era from AD 636 to the present day.
• Tiraz: More than 2,000 costumes, weavings, jewelry and home utensils are included in this collection of traditional Palestinian and Jordanian costumes and items from the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection includes the Widad Kamel Kawar dress collection.
• The Anthropological Museum at University of Jordan: Born as an assortment of personal items donated by the university’s anthropology students, this collection developed into an exhibition of modern Jordanian heritage that today includes agricultural tools, costumes, cosmetic items, furniture, tents, animal husbandry items and common housewares such as plates, bowls and cups.
• The Jordan Museum: Located in the urban center of Ras al-‘Ayn, this collection of galleries houses a center of learning displaying Jordan’s history and culture.
• The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions: Established in 1971 and located within a space at the Roman Theatre in Amman, the museum includes five themed exhibition halls that explore subjects including the traditional costumes of the East Bank, jewelry, Palestinian costumes and headwear, pottery and food vessels, and an impressive collection of mosaics from Byzantine churches.