Jordan is a beautiful country, with wilderness and limitless deserts, where Bedouins wander, where mountains in the north are covered with green forests, and where the Jordan River flows, the land is fertile in summer and winter. Jordan has a strange fascinating history, its beauty gives a sense of eternity. Scattered with monuments of the destroyed great empires, it is the last place of yesterday, directed to tomorrow. This is the last refuge of the past on the earth of the future.
From the Paleolithic to the Roman Empire
The history of Jordan originates from the period of the origin of mankind, which stuns not only tourists, but also archaeologists and historians. Each community that occupied these lands left their signs here. From the earliest period, when a person began to wander around the territory now called Jordan, the wide plains were a crossroads between Asia and Africa.
The chronology of Jordanian history can be summarized as follows: In the Paleolithic era, in the Jordan Valley, in Azraq, and in the south of modern Jordan, homo erectus, Neanderthals, and then homo sapience were hunted. In the Neolithic era, agriculture begins to develop on these lands. The Early Bronze Age was marked by the growth of settlements, which differ in size and cultural diversity. The middle of the Bronze Age was marked by the revival of the development of civilization and trade, which turned this era into one of the most prosperous. Excavations demonstrate the tremendous wealth and artistic know-how of those times.
Iron Age. Most of the events of the Old Testament took place during this period. Countless settlements have appeared in Amman, Deyban, Madaba, Mount of Heaven, in Buser and Karak. In the Roman period, rich provincial Roman cities were built here, which have survived in Jordan to this day. By 635 A.D. most of the Middle East was under Arab influence. Islam spread here in the period from 633 AD to 636 AD The legendary battle of Yarmouk brought the final victory of Islam in this region. The importance of Jordan was that pilgrims going to Mecca and Medina passed through its territory. During the First World War, an Arab uprising broke out here, which laid the foundation for an independent Arab nation in Jordan.
Across the river, mountains and valleys, Jordan is a small country with an area of 92,300 square kilometers, which can be crossed by car in just four hours. But the strong differences in the topography and landscape of its territory give the impression that it is larger than it actually is. Ninety percent of Jordan is the steppes and deserts. The western borders of its territory are the northern part of the Great Reef Valley - the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, the Arab Valley - to the Gulf of Aqaba.
To the east of the Reef Valley lies a mountain range consisting of rock raised to the surface as a result of the expansion of the natural tectonic fault in the valley and its subsequent lowering. In the east of the mountain range is a wide high plateau, which allows Amman to be ranked as the second highest capital in the Arab world after Sana'a in Yemen.
Kingdom of Hashemites
In the Islamic world, where the family tree is an extremely important aspect of any person’s life, one family tree is revered more than all the others. This is a family branch of al-Hashim or Hashimite. Tracking the ancestors of all the representatives of this family in a continuous chain, starting from the Prophet Muhammad, the Hashemite family gave birth to outstanding sons and daughters, beginning with the rise of the Islamic era. The Hashimites founded and ruled the nation, led the army into battle, stood out for their special talents in literature, art, and philosophy.
Today, the King of Jordan - Abdullah II rules the country. He was crowned in 1999. King Abdullah II - the son of King Hussein, is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad in the forty-third tribe. His ancestors have been rulers of the Hijaz region in Arabia for over a thousand years. Known as the Sharifian Aun House, they gained immense recognition in the nineteenth century, when the great great-grandfather of King Hussein, Sharif Hussein bin Ali, led the great Arab rebellion (1916 - 1920) against Turkish tyranny, which led to the collapse of Turkish rule in Arab lands.
Ninety-five percent of the population of modern Jordan is Muslim. This includes the diasporas of the Circassians and Chechens who migrated to these lands at the end of the 19th century. The remaining five percent of the population is mainly Greek Orthodox Catholics and Armenian Christians. They usually settle in Amman, Madaba, and Karak. About half of the Christian community follow the Eastern Orthodox rites under the leadership of the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Amman - the capital of Jordan
The capital of Jordan, Amman, has about one and a half million people, which makes up almost half of the country's population. When visiting Amman for the first time, one wonders first of all at the hills. The city is located at an altitude of 850 meters above sea level and is located on seven hills. In Amman there are many historical places representing different milestones of the development of human civilization - from the Stone Age to the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic eras. Each place is remarkable in its own way.
At the heart of the modern image of Amman lies a long history. A Neolithic settlement was found in the 1980s in several areas of Amman. The Roman Theater in Amman is the largest in Jordan and is designed for six thousand spectators. The steps of the theater lead to a gallery with exquisite Byzantine mosaics from Madoba. The theater area is considered an ideal place for walking. There are many souvenir shops, shops and eateries. Here you can taste shish kebab and delicious ice cream.
Amman is the home of several great mosques in the Middle East. The newest of them is the magnificent Mosque of King Abdullah. It is crowned with a magnificent mosaic dome, under which up to three thousand worshipers can be simultaneously.
We continued our tour of Amman by visiting the Citadel, which now, as in ancient times, is located in the city center, opposite the Roman Theater. The archaeological museum presents the most valuable artifacts found during excavations in Jordan. At the southern foot of the Citadel is Sale Amman - a water stream. On its southern shore used to be a large part of the Roman city of Philadelphia - Forum, Theater, Odeon and shops. At the crossroads is Nymphaeum. This holy fountain is fed by water coming from the Sail Amman, flowing from the south. The forum is surrounded by the streets of modern Amman.
Not far from Amman is Madaba - a place of pilgrimage for many tourists professing Christianity. Madaba has been inhabited for more than 4,500 years and is referred to in the Bible as the "Moabai city of Medeva." In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity, which later became the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. Starting from the 5th century, Madaba had its own bishop, a little later numerous churches began to operate, which were built in the Byzantine period - from the 6th to the 7th century. Successive bishops led the construction of new churches, the creation of mosaic flooring, decorations and frescoes and other decorations. The mosaic map of the biblical Holy Land, found in 1884 and preserved in the walls of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Madaba, which was reconstructed in 1897, occupies a special place among the artistic and cultural treasures of Jordan.
Mountain sky
An amazing historical monument is Mount Sky, where Moses allegedly died. A small church was built on this site by the first Christians. By the 7th century, the temple turned into a large Byzantine complex, where pilgrims flocked from afar. The pilgrims' journey began in Jerusalem and passed through the source of Moses (Jericho, Aitsa Moussa) and Mount Sky, ending with a restorative bath in the natural hot springs in Hammamat Main. The tradition that today's guests of Jordan can repeat and find this activity worthwhile. From the building of the 4th century there are several limestone blocks and fragments of a mosaic floor. The most interesting is the mosaic cross, which stood near the altar. The bronze memorial in the form of a snake on the cross was made by Giano Polo Fantoni Florensky. It symbolizes the snake raised by Moses in the wilderness, as well as the crucifixion of Jesus. In the words of Jesus Christ: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, the Son of Man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."
Al mahtas
The place where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist is special in the history of Christianity. The Jordan River flows through the Jordanian Reef Valley. Many symbolic and historical events are associated with it. Prophets Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist and Jesus Christ crossed it in their lives. The miraculous crossing of the Jordan River by the prophet Jesus Nun after the death of Moses occurred directly opposite Beit Abar ("House of Transition"). The great loop of the Jordan River was used by John the Baptist as a font for the baptism of new Christians. Less than two kilometers east of the river is another important place connected with the lives of Jesus Christ and John the Baptist - the settlement of Bethany, where John lived and baptized the newly converted. In the Gospel of John it is called as a refuge where Jesus left from the threat of stoning in Jerusalem: "And he went again beyond the Jordan to the place where John had baptized before, and remained there."
This Bethany settlement was recently found on the south bank of the small Wadi Harrar creek, east of the Jordan River. According to local traditions, which are thousands of years old, from there Saint Ilya ascended to Paradise. There is a small hill in the center of Bethany called the Hill of St. Elijah (or "Tel Mar Elias"). Ruins dating back to the 1st century AD were found in the ancient remains of Bethany. and the Byzantine period, referred to as Ainon or Safsafas, depicted on a mosaic map of the Holy Land of the sixth century in Madaba. It is believed that after Jesus spent 40 days in the desert after baptism, He could be in a harsh, uninhabited area directly on the east coast of the Jordan River and north of Bethany.
Dead Sea Power
Today, Jordan has a magnificent resort on the Dead Sea, where there are hotels with medical complexes for the restoration and treatment of many joint and skin diseases.
The Dead Sea is unique in nature. It lies at the bottom of a natural depression, which reaches 400 meters below sea level. This is the lowest point on the globe. The area of the Dead Sea is 920 square meters. It is rich in mineral salts, and its sodium chloride content is four times higher than in the ocean, which makes life impossible for plants and animals, but it is ideal for medical procedures. Which attracts people from all over the world to local water hospitals and Spa.
The Bible speaks of the Dead Sea as the "Sea of Arava" (Salt Sea). The Salt Valley, where David “killed 18,000 Edomites,” is a wide plain at the southern tip of the Dead Sea, where natural salt formations formed along the coast. This steppe and semi-desert in southern Jordan between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba is known as Wadi Araba. Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as other cities of the plains, are associated with some dramatic stories from the Old Testament, including the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God for their sins. Arriving from Egypt, Abraham and Lot divided their cattle and people, and each went his own way. After Lot's wife disobeyed the command of God and looked back at the burning Sodom, she turned into a salt pillar, and Lot and his daughters escaped and lived for many years in a nearby cave.
Petra - a city in red rocks
A huge number of tourists today are attracted by one of the seven wonders of the world located in Jordan - the city of Petra. Petra is located in the southwest of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, at a distance of 250 kilometers from Amman. Around Petra stands the modern city of Wadi Musa, where according to legend, the prophet Moses extracted water from the rocks. Petra is surrounded by many villages and settlements that have left their mark on history.
Petra is a legacy left by the Nabataeans, brave warriors and hardworking stonecutters who settled in southern Jordan more than 2 thousand years ago. Petra - a magical city in a huge rock in the very center of the desert - is included in the UNESCO list of masterpieces of world cultural heritage. Over the course of several centuries, Petra has impressed travelers to the depths of its soul with both its appearance and its rare pink-red color to the color of the mother mountain, from which all city buildings are carved. From the main entrance you will pass through the awesome Sik, a huge crack in the sandstone, the length of which is 3 kilometers between steep cliffs. The most famous monument of Petra is the Treasury, which is the end of the Sika, around it there are hundreds of buildings, facades, crypts, baths, mourning halls, temples and, of course, a theater for three thousand seats, built in the 1st century BC.
The majestic Nabataean civilization (400 BC - 106 AD) with its capital in Petra developed thanks to trade. In the first century BC, the famous historian Strabo described the Nabataeans and praised their civilization. Later, archaeological excavations confirmed the correctness of his descriptions. Also, the historian Diodoros Siculus noted that Antigonus and one of the commanders of Alexander the Great tried to subdue the Nabataeans in order to fight their enemies in Egypt, but nothing came of it.
Nabataean art developed under the influence of the Greek and Egyptian. Traces of ancient Greek art can be found in recently discovered statues. The Nabataeans had their own language and script. Their alphabet is similar to Aramaic and Hebrew. The Nabataeans brought with them to Petra their religious beliefs, where idolatry prevailed.
God Dushar was the most important in the pantheon of Nabataean deities, judging by the coins found during excavations. Religious sacrifices were brought to Dushar on the altar of the majestic temple. You can see in the temples of Petra and carved images of animals - a camel, hawk, lion, snake and others, which also indicates their importance. Nabataeans revered ancient Greek legends, and their goddess Al-Uzza was very similar to the Greek Venus.
Nabataean civilization developed very quickly. Residents of the then Petra engaged in agriculture and water collection, building bridges to support pipelines and flood protection. The irrigation system at that time was very developed. Huge reservoirs for collecting water were carved into the rocks. Nabataean civilization reached its zenith during the reign of Aresas III, as evidenced by numerous coins and ceramic products. The influence of the Nabataeans then reached the north and west of Wadi Arab, Damascus and Khuran, and their trade extended to China and Rome.
In 30 BC Obodas II became king of Nabatea. During his reign, the Roman emperor Augustus tried to conquer the Nabatean kingdom, but to no avail. The last king of the Nabataeans was Rabbil II, who died in 106 A.D. After his reign, the Nabatean kingdom became part of the Roman province and was called "Arabia". Since that time, due to the remote location in an isolated area between the valleys, the city in the rocks of Peter was forgotten for many long years ...
Arts and crafts of Jordan
The rich cultural mix of Arab and foreign traditions is reflected in Jordanian art. Probably the most ancient craft in Jordan is the creation of pottery from clay (the sixth millennium BC). Cross stitch deserves worldwide admiration. In ancient times, Palestinian and Jordanian girls, from an early age, embroidered wedding dresses for themselves. Today, gorgeous embroidered items can be purchased at gift shops. In the past, both nomadic and village people made carpets using weaving looms. Jordanians today continue to weave carpets by hand, preserving in them the traditional green, red, black and orange tones.
Tourists take with them inexpensive bottles filled with sand of bright colors as souvenirs. Their intricate patterns are a unique souvenir from Jordan. In many shops you can also find handmade vases, bottles and glasses made of amazingly beautiful bright blue and saturated green blown glass. In addition, cosmetic products are sold everywhere - creams, ointments, all kinds of elixirs made on the basis of salts and mud of the Dead Sea.
It is usually hot and dry in Jordan in summer and cool and rainy in winter. The most visited season by tourists is spring, when everything around is blooming and fragrant.
Having visited this country, having come into contact with the history of the development of mankind, religious shrines, you will know a huge world created by God and people. It brings a feeling of eternity, peace, peace and love ...
