AMMAN — Jabal Luweibdeh, one of the seven hills of Amman, has become a battleground between artistic and business interests. Artists from this picturesque neighborhood are fighting to save the area from being overtaken by shisha cafes, restaurants, shops and the heavy traffic they cause.
Located at the center of the Jordanian capital, the area was once a lively part of the otherwise somber city, with its squares and streets lined with jasmine trees, cultural centers and stone houses with small courtyards. But particularly in the last decade, the scent of jasmine has been replaced by smoke from the mushrooming cafes and exhaust from the heavy traffic, complain residents.