Petra, the Dead Sea and the desert are some of the things we immediately associate with Jordan, but what else is Jordan famous for ?
Located in Western Asia, Jordan is at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. It shares borders with Saudi Arabia (south and east), Iraq (northeast), Syria (north), and Israel and the West Bank (west). Jordan does not share a border with Egypt, as the Gulf of Aqaba separates the two countries.
Jordan is a hotspot for religious tourism, but it is also popular with young people because of its adventure tourism, historical sites and, most importantly, Petra. Amman is the capital city and the economic, cultural and historical center of Jordan.
But, without further ado, let ‘s find out what Jordan is famous for ?
8 things Jordan is famous for
Jordan River
With a length of 251 km, the Jordan River rises on Mount Hermon on the border of Syria and Lebanon, flows from north to south, through the Sea of Galilee and empties into the Dead Sea. Both Jordan, the country and the West Bank are named after this important river.
The Jordan River holds great significance in both Judaism and Christianity, making it one of the holiest rivers in the world. There are numerous references to the river in the Bible, but the most prominent is the baptism of Jesus of Nazareth by John the Baptist. The land through which the Jordan River flows is considered sacred by many people, and its waters have spiritual significance.
Don’t expect to find a large river as described in the Bible, most of the Jordan is rather small, less than 10 meters wide and 2 meters deep. Yet, the Jordan is the only major river in the region making it one of the most notable features of the entire region. Its water is an important resource in the region and thus another source of friction in the region – it does not need more…
Much of the Jordan’s course lies on the Jordan Rift Valley, which flows far below sea level, making it the lowest river in the world.
dead sea
Another world-famous natural landmark, located in the Jordan Rift Valley at the mouth of the Jordan River, is the Dead Sea. Bordering Jordan (east), Israel and the West Bank (north), the Dead Sea is a salty lake whose harsh conditions make it impossible for plants and animals to grow, hence its name.
The surface of the Dead Sea is 430 meters below sea level, meaning its shores are the lowest land-based elevation on Earth. Although rapidly receding, the Dead Sea is still a large lake about 600 km 2 – 500 km long and 15 km wide. In 1930, it doubled in size to 1,050 km2 .
The lowest point on Earth is also a unique environment, where its water is 10 times more saline than the ocean, making it one of the saltiest and deepest hypersaline lakes in the world. All this salt makes swimming almost impossible. Feels more like floating than swimming.
Visiting the lowest place on earth and floating on the Dead Sea has attracted tourists for thousands of years. The region is considered one of the first health resorts on earth and has provided the world with various products, especially mud and salt.
Petra
Petra is clearly the most famous and naturally the most visited place in Jordan. Originally known as Rakmu, Petra is a historic and archaeological city that was the capital of the Nabateans in the 2nd century BC.
Petra’s proximity to incense trade routes established it as an important regional center and brought considerable revenue to the Nabataeans. Petra became a wealthy city in the 1st century BC when the famous Al-Khazneh (tomb of the Nabataean king Aretas IV) was built. At this time, 20,000 people lived in Petra.
Famous for its impressive rock-cut architecture and water system, Petra has been a UNESCO heritage site since 1985. It is often called the “Red Rose City” because of the color of the rocks on which the carvings were made and became one of the New 7 Wonders. of the world in 2007.
UNESCO defines Petra as “one of the most valuable cultural properties of the cultural heritage of man” and anyone who has visited can only agree with that. As Jordan’s most famous symbol, Petra received about 1 million tourists a year before the pandemic.
queen queen
We don’t usually cover people and personalities in these articles, but Queen Rania will be an exception because she has become such an influential figure internationally. She was also named one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes magazine.
Born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents, she fled to Amman in 1991 after the Gulf War. In Amman, she met Prince Abdullah of Jordan and they married in 1993. After marriage and especially after becoming Queen, Rania has been working on social causes both domestically and internationally. She often advocates on topics related to health, children, cross-cultural communication and micro-finance.
For all this Queen Rania is very popular in Jordan and internationally. She is probably one of the most famous Jordanians and one of the most popular on social media, with millions of followers on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. She uses that channel mainly to promote and promote some of her causes like stopping child abuse, social change and education.
Mars-like setting
Another thing Jordan is known for is his “out of this world” scenes. The landscape is marked by sand, uniquely shaped red rocks and myriad colors during the day. As Lawrence of Arabia once said of Wadi Rum and the Jordanian desert, it is “vast, echoing and divine”.
Wadi Rum in particular is one of the most outlandish-looking places on Earth, which easily explains why it has been used as a movie setting for other planets such as The Martian, Star Wars Rogue One and The Rise of Skywalker. , and debris.
Since 2011, Wadi Rum is also a UNESCO heritage site. Apart from being an amazing and unique place on earth, it is home to many archaeological sites. In Wadi Rum you can find thousands of stone carvings and inscriptions. As a popular destination, there are also many adventure and outdoor activities like buggy and jeep tours, hot air ballooning, star-gazing, rock climbing, and horse and camel riding.
exiled
Aside from the fascinating landmarks and “out of this world” scenery, refugees are the first thing that comes to mind when I am asked what Jordan is famous for. why
Jordan has taken in millions of refugees from many conflict countries over the years. Jordan has received Palestinian refugees since 1948, notably during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the 1990 Gulf War. Many of these refugees were also granted citizenship.
Although it is far from being just Palestinians, during the second Gulf War, more than a million Iraqis were allowed to enter Jordan, and almost 1.5 million Syrians have fled to Jordan since 2010. Christian Iraqis also sought refuge after being persecuted by the Islamic State. Finally, with much smaller numbers, Libyans, Lebanese and Yemenis and Sudanese have also been accepted in Jordan.
So, whenever there are wars or conflicts in the region (and there have been many) people try to flee to Jordan and they have accepted them. According to the World Bank, nearly 3 million of Jordan’s 10 million people are refugees or illegal immigrants.
This is an incredibly large number, which naturally puts a significant strain on infrastructure and resources. Jordan, on the other hand, should be proud, admired and helped.
Bedouins
The Bedouin are a nomadic people who usually live in the deserts of the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula, and North Africa. The name Bedouin is derived from the Arabic word Badwi , meaning desert dweller.
Despite being divided into tribes, the Bedouin share a common culture and characteristics, such as animal husbandry (camels, goats, sheep), living in tents, and well-known hospitality. They are also experts in surviving extreme conditions and desert trails.
With about 1 300 000 Bedouins, Jordan is one of the countries with more Bedouins in the world, thus one of the best places to experience their hospital and discover their unique way of life. The best way to experience this legendary hospitality is to visit the local Bedouin people and stay at one of their campsites and learn firsthand about their food, culture and dessert life. They also usually offer trekking, camel and horse riding and jeep tours.
Levantine food
What is Jordan famous for eating? Well, mostly for typical Levantine food, Bedouin food and a mix of the two. Jordanians love to eat and share that love with their guests and neighbors.
Mansaf is the most traditional national dish and one Jordanians are proud of. With Bedouin roots, it includes rice, lamb (sometimes other meats are used instead), and jamid. Jameed is a type of hard, dried and fermented goat’s milk curd. Rice is usually fatty because it is stirred with heavy margarine until it is cooked. It is delicious and served on a large serving tray on very thin bread. Traditionally, you eat mansaf with your hands.
But the variety and variety of foods you can find in Jordan is amazing and what we really enjoy is their food. Some of the most common ingredients would include za’atar, tahini, olive oil and olives, lemon, garlic.
Thus, you will find local versions of most typical dishes of the Levant, such as falafel, hummus, lebaneh, kibbeh, tabbouleh, bread and many others. Popular desserts include baklava, nafeh, halva, and fruits such as figs and nuts. The most famous is of course the baklava, but the nafeh is really our favorite.