If a country currently represents the union between the Islamic tradition and Western modernity, that is undoubtedly Jordan. A welcoming and touristic country has in its monarchy the example of what it wants to represent in the world. Join us to know 50 Curiosities of Jordan , where tradition and modernity come together.
Jordan is, in some areas of the country, an open-air museum full of ancient history. It has the great merit of being also a host country since, of its 8.4 million inhabitants almost one third are refugees who have arrived from other countries in conflict. Despite this, Jordan is a place of relative calm amidst a troubled region.
50 Curiosities of Jordan
1. The official name of the country is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
2. The name Jordan owes it to the Jordan River. Previously, most of the territory of present-day Jordan was called "Transjordan" because, in the Middle Ages, it was called by the Crusaders "Outre-Jordain", which means "beyond the Jordan".
3. The apostille "Hashemite" or "Hachemî" refers to the fact that his monarchy belongs to an Arab lineage descended from the Banu Hashim or sons of Hashim, which in turn is one of the clans of the Quraish tribe to which he belonged. Muhammad.
4. It was recognized by the UN as a sovereign and independent kingdom in 1946, its name was initially "Transjordania" and was renamed Jordan after the conquest of the West Bank area in 1948 (to the sovereignty of which it subsequently resigned). The capital of the country is Aman.
5. The parliament of Jordan has two chambers, the "Assembly of Notable Persons", elected by the king, and the "Chamber of Deputies" elected by suffrage.
6. Although Jordan's political system is multiparty, the majority of candidates present themselves as independent.
7. Among the Jordan curiosities There is the fact that political parties can not be based on religion.
8. Almost 85% of the population lives in urban areas.
9. Amman is possibly one of the oldest cities on the planet. There are human archaeological vestiges dating from the 13th century BC.
10. In the 2nd century BC the city was called Philadelphia in honor of its conqueror Ptolemy Philadelph II
11. Amman has a population of around 4 million people.
12. One of the Jordan curiosities and its capital Amman is that in the latter you can see in one of the most central hills on which the city is based, "Jabal Al Q'ala", the Greco-Roman temple of Hercules next to an 8th century Umayyad palace.
13. Crossing Jabal Al Q'ala you will find one of the main streets of the center of the capital called "The Rainbow Street" although it used to be the street " Abu Bakr al Siddiq. "
14. In Amman you will also find a Roman amphitheater of the 2nd century, with a capacity for 6,000 spectators. At present it is still used for concerts and other cultural activities.
15. To 124 km. from Haman is the fortress of Karak built by the Crusaders.
16. Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, advised the leaders of the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire by winning a great victory at the Battle of Aqaba.
17. The flag of Jordan is based on that of the Arab rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. It is formed by three stripes of black, white and green with a red triangle in the zone of the mast that represents the Hashemite kings.
18. Above the red triangle there is a white seven-pointed star representing the 7 Suras of the beginning of the Qur'an.
19. A third of its population, approximately, is made up of refugees, especially Palestinians and Syrians.
20. One of the Jordan curiosities is that unlike its neighbors, it has no oil.
21. Tourism represents 12% of the country's income.
22. Jordan together with Egypt are the only two Arab countries that have signed peace treaties with Israel.
23. Another of the Jordan curiosities is that it has only a small coastline of 26 km. in the Red Sea. If it were not for this strip, it would be a country with no exit to the sea. Aqaba is the only city with a port in the country.
24. The language of Jordan It is Arabic. However, English is widely used in cities.
25. It is possible that although the language of Jordan be the Arabic you will find words, indications in the streets or Arabic phrases written in Latin alphabet, in those cases your spelling will be English.
26. To pay in Jordan you will use the Jordanian dinar.
27. The black lily is the national flower of Jordan and it flowers only in the Valley of the Moon or Wadi Rum in spring.
28. The Jordanian national animal is the óryx Arab.
29. The national bird of Jordan is the "bullfinch of Sinai", whose natural habitat is the deserts.
30. The Jordan food it is presided over by its national dish, the "mansaf". It is of Bedouin origin and is served on all occasions (weddings, births, funerals ...). It consists of lamb cooked in a base of yogurt fermented with nuts, hot sauce of yogurt and steamed rice.
31. Stuffed lamb is also a classic in the Jordan food . It is filled with rice, onion, raisins and nuts.
32. The Jordan food traditional, especially lamb, is cooked in a kiln excavated a meter from the ground and with 60 cm. diameter. It is known as "Al-Zarab" and the lamb dish that is cooked in it, receives the same name.
33. It is considered polite to refuse the food offered three times before accepting it.
34. One of the customs of Jordan it consists of not praising too much the children since it is considered that praising them excessively can attract bad luck.
35. Another of the customs of Jordan , as in other countries of Asia , is to eat with the right hand, never with the left because it is considered impure because it is used for cleaning, as we saw in the post about the India .
36. Women in Jordan have much more freedom than their neighbors in other countries in the area. They receive a complete education, can drive and participate in business and politics.
37. Despite this greater freedom, between the customs of Jordan the arranged marriages and the delivery of the dowry continue.
38 Petra, in Jordan , is one of the main tourist attractions of the country. Among the remains of the city navatea are more than 800 carved tombs and two important buildings, "the treasure" and "the Monastery". It is considered one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World.
39. The structures that we can still see in the archaeological site of Petra are mostly damaged by the salt that arrives with the wind from the Dead Sea and that crystallizes in the columns of the constructions.
40. The city of Petra in Jordan It was founded in the VIII century BC. being, for this reason, one of the oldest metropolises in the world. The Nabateans settled in it in the 6th century BC. It was abandoned in the 6th century AD
41. The Dead Sea in Jordan It is another of the country's tourist spots. The banks of this salt lake are shared by Palestine, Jordan and Israel.
42. As for the mainland, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth. It is 420 m. Below sea level.
43. The bathers who enjoy the numerous spas around the Dead Sea in Jordan, one of the Jordan curiosities that attract more tourists is that they can entertain themselves floating in its waters, since it has a salinity of 34.2%.
44. The Jordan river it serves as a border between Jordan and Israel and between Jordan and Palestine. On its shores are many biblical events such as the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist .
45. The Jordan is the longest river in Jordan and runs through its territory 251 km.
46. In addition to Jordan river , other biblical places are also found in Jordan as the missing cities of Sodoma and Gomorra .
47. The most common tree in the country is the olive tree.
48. The Jordan Museum keeps several of the so-called " Dead Sea Scrolls "
49. In the 1970s, Jordan was the first Arab country to include women in its police.
50. The last Jordan curiosity is for athletes: The most popular sport in Jordan is football, although their national team has never qualified for a final phase of the Soccer World Cup.
Other Curiosities of Asia | By Countries
Have you been surprised by these curiosities of Jordan, a country that is a lesson in ancient history ? If you're fascinated by Asian countries, you can not miss the following curiosities of Asia in general, distributed by countries. Surely you will be interested and surprised as much as the previous ones! Discover them!
- Curiosities of the Philippines
- Curiosities of Georgia
- Curiosities of Thailand
- Curiosities of Turkey
- Curiosities of China
- Curiosities of Japan
- Curiosities of North Korea
- Curiosities of South Korea
- Curiosities of Russia
- Curiosities of Mongolia
- Curiosities of India
- Curiosities of Nepal
Did you know these Jordan curiosities ? Have you been surprised to learn that it is a country that has no oil and that you should never eat with your left hand? We really want to visit the country! If you know some curious facts about Jordan that we have not mentioned, share it with us and we can expand the list!
Images: Ji-Elle , Arwcheek , Cybjorg , , Berthold Werner , MathKnight ,