2.5. History
Above all, Jordan is a
land of history. New details of its ancient civilisation are coming to light
every year. Teams of archaeologists probe Jordanian earth in search of the
past. One of the most recent archaeological work indicates that nomadic Stone
Age inhabitants of Jordan lived along ancient river beds and former lakes
as far back as half a million years ago and by 8,000 BC permanent villages
of stone and mud-brick houses started to appear on the scene. In the Early
Bronze Age, about 3,200 BC, the start of true urban life is recorded in a
series of small walled "cities" that appear throughout Jordan.
Situated as it was between the great civilisations of Egypt to the west and
Mesopotamia to the east, Jordan was destined to be a busy cross-roads. The
first Millennium BC brought about the Iron Age, and several small kingdoms
prevailed in the area. The Edomites ruled southern Jordan, the Moabites settled
in the centre of the country, and the Amorites had their capital at Hisban,
south of Amman. The Ammonites controlled the area around Amman, and the Kingdom
of Gilead reigned in the northern region around the Zerqa River. At the end
of the 1st Millennium BC the Arab Nabataeans established their Kingdom in
southern Jordan. They had a secure capital at Petra, but finally succumbed
to Roman control in the early 2nd Century AD .
The Romans ruled Jordan for several centuries, until the Byzantine Empire,
with its capital at Constantinople, brought Christianity to the area for some
400 years.
In the 7th Century AD, the armies of Islam came out of Arabia and established
the Umayyad Caliphate at Damascus, and Jordan has been Islamic land ever since.
In 1916, the Sharif Hussein of the Hijaz launched the Great Arab Revolt against
the Ottomans, and by the early 1920s the Emirate of Transjordan was established
under the rule of the Emir Abdallah, grandfather of the late King Hussein.
Jordan became fully independent from Great Britain in 1946, and has developed
without interruption as the independent Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan ever since.
In 1947 the United Nations recommended the partition of Palestine. The Arab-Israeli
war followed. In 1950 Transjordan and Central Palestine combined into the
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. In 1951 King Abdallah passed on and was succeeded
by his son King Talal. King Talal was succeeded by his son Hussein I (1953-1999.)
After the June War with Israel in 1967 the U.N. called for withdrawal of Israel
from the occupied west shore of the River Jordan. A peace treaty between Israel
and Jordan was signed in 1994.
After the death of King Hussein in January 1999, the eldest son, Prince Abdullah,
became the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Contents of the Guide Book
| 1. | Welcome to Jordan |
| 2.. | The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
| 2.1. | Geography, Climate and Borders |
| 2.2. | Entry and Departure Procedures |
| 2.3 | Population |
| 2.4. | Currency |
| 2.5. | History |
| 2.6. |
Government |
| 2.7. | Economy |
| 3. | Jordan, where the Adventure awaits you |
| 3.2 | Amman, the Dynamic Capital City |
| 3.2. | The
Kings´Highway (Madaba, Mt. Nebo, Mukawir, Wadi Mujib, Karak, Shobak) |
| 3.3. | Petra, the Spectacular Rose-Red City |
| 3.4. | The Cities of Decapolis (Pella, Gadara, Abila, Philadelphia, Gerasa, Umm el Jimal) |
| 3.5.. |
Following
the Footsteps of "Lawrence of Arabia"; |
| 3.6. | Aqaba, Jordan´s year-round Red Sea Resort |
| 3.7. | The Dead Sea and Termal Spas; The healing power of the Dead Sea; The Hot Springs of Zarqa Ma´in |
| 3.8. | Biblical Sites in Jordan |
| 3.8.1. | The
Biblical Sites from North to South; Gadara, Anjara, Pella, Bethany, Machaerus, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, the Kings´Highway, Wadi Musa, Sodom & Gomorra, Ayla |
| 3.9. | Nature Reserves in Jordan; Wadi Rum, Dana, Zubia, Azraq, Shaumari |
| 4. | The Tourist Facilities in Jordan |
| 4.1. | Transportation;
Flight Connections, Tourist Buses, Bus-, Train-, Ferry-Connections; Car Rental and Driving in Jordan |
| 4.2. | Communication |
| 4.3. | Sports; Aquatic Sports and Diving; Horseback Riding and Camel Trips; Ballooning; Glimbing and Hang-gliding |
| 4.4. | Culture and Entertainment; Museums and Galleries; Festivals; Other Entertainments |
| 4.5. | Restaurants |
| 4.6. | Shopping and Souvenirs |
| 4.7. | Tourist Guides |
| 4.8. | Accommodation; |
| 5. | Incentive Travel |
| 5.1. | Incentive Special Events |
| 6. | Helpful Facts about Jordan |
| 6.1. | Best Time to Travel and Safty |
| 6.2. | Tipping (Bakshish) |
| 6.3. | Holidays, Ramadan, Business Hours |
| 6.4. | Local Customs - How to Dress? |
| 6.5. | Electric Current, Water Supply |