Jordan

Overview

Jordan is one of the most exciting countries to visit in the Middle East. It is a safe country for travelers, it has incredible sights, the people are friendly and the sun always shines. Do you need more reasons?

The capital city, Amman is quite a nice place to spend some time and of course some money. The city center has an old roman theater and there it is an ideal place for making short trips to sights nearby.

Highlights include Petra, Jerash, Um kaes, the Dead sea, the Jordan River and Wadi rum.

History

Jordan's location as a buffer zone between the settled region of the Mediterranean littoral west of the Jordan River and the major part of the desert to the east contributed significantly to the country's experience in ancient and more recent times. Until 1921 however Jordan had a history as a vaguely defined territory without a separate political identity. Its earlier history closely associated with the religions of Judaism Christianity and Islam therefore comes under the histories of the contending empires of which it often formed a part.

By the time the area was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century the inhabitants of three general geographic regions had developed distinct loyalties. The villagers and town dwellers of Palestine west of the Jordan River were oriented to the major cities and ports of the coast. In the north of presentday Jordan scattered villagers and tribesmen associated themselves with Syria while the tribesmen of southern Jordan were oriented toward the Arabian Peninsula. Although most of the populace were Arab Muslims the integration of peoples with such differing backgrounds and regional characteristics hampered the creation of a cohesive society and state.

In 1921 the Amirate of Transjordan was established under British patronage on the East Bank by the Hashimite (also seen as Hashemite) prince Abdullah ibn Hussein Al Hashimi who had been one of the principal figures of the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Direct British administration was established in Palestine where Britain (in the Balfour Declaration of...more