About Jordan

Jordanian Legacy Civilization
Jordan is a land of unexpected beauty and variety. Discovering its savage river-filled canyons, awesome mountains and deserts, delightful flower-filled spring meadows and pine-forested northern hills can be a life-changing experience. add to this the remarkable hospitably of its people, particularly the Bedouin with their contagious good humor, and any visit to this remarkable Middle eastern country is guaranteed to more than full expectation, welcome (Ahlan wa sahlan) to Jordan, its land and its people.

History
Stone tools from the Paleolithic era possibly dated back 250.000 years were left in Jordan by early man who wandered the hills and valleys hunting large game animals now only found in Africa.  Settlements dating back 10.000 years have been excavated. The Edomites, Moabites, Amorites and ammonites settle these lands around 1200BC. Moses and the Israelites reputedly passed through the mountains and deserts of Jordan about this time, though expert opinion differs as exactly when.

The Nabataeans ruled here from 5000BC TO 100AD, controlling the trading routes and the transport of precious silk and spices from the Orient and the distant Arabia Felix (Yemen). The ubiquitous Greek and Romans left their imprint, as did the Byzantines and the soldiers of Islam, the forces of Saladin and the invading Crusaders. Hardly changed by time and the swirl of events, the wandering nomadic tribes of Bedouin settled or passed through on their migrations, in search of grazing and hunting. Their black tents still adorn the windswept plateaux ,open desert and hidden green valleys, moving with the seasons, although their numbers are falling and life is getting harder as the government endeavours to settle them.

Jordan was founded in 1921, and it was recognized by the League of Nations as a state under the British mandate in 1922 known as The Emirate of Transjordan. In 1946, Jordan became an independent sovereign state officially known as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Quran

Geography of Jordan: Jordan is a relatively small country situated at the junction of the Levantine and Arabian areas of the Middle East. The country is bordered on the north by Syria, to the east by Iraq, and by Saudi Arabia on the east and south. To the west is Israel and the West Bank, while Jordan’s only outlet to the sea, the Gulf of Aqaba, is to the south. Jordan occupies an area of approximately 96,188 square kilometers including the Dead Sea, making it similar in size to Austria or Portugal. However, Jordan’s diverse terrain and landscape belie its actual size, demonstrating a variety usually found only in large countries.

Western Jordan has essentially a Mediterranean climate with a hot, dry summer, a cool, wet winter and two short transitional seasons. However, about 75% of the country can be described as having a desert climate with less than 200 mm of rain annually. Jordan can be divided into three main geographic and climatic areas: the Jordan Valley, the Mountain Heights Plateau, and the eastern desert, or Badia region.

Clothing: You can wear anything you want in Jordan, and in West Amman many Jordanians dress like fashion-forward westerners. Outside west Amman, however, customs become abruptly more conservative. What you wear advertises things about you – and maybe not what you intend to advertise. It’s your choice, but if you care to know.

Jordanians generally take care to dress carefully: even if they have only one nice outfit, it will be clean and carefully pressed, and worn to any occasion that requires public interaction. “Slumming” and “grunge” are simply understood as disrespectful. It is important to remember that outside affluent West Amman, Jordanians are not particularly interested in edgy western clothing trends.

You can of course wear anything you choose. We suggest though, to adapt your personal style to norms of the country you are visiting, as an adventure in crossing cultural boundaries: discover what makes you, and keep it – and adapt in ways that allows you interact with Jordanians comfortably, to experience as much as you can of the country you’re visiting.

Tipping: Although a service tax is included on most restaurant and hotel bills, your waiter or service person will probably never see any of it. Giving people tips in cash, personally, is much appreciated. You may have to insist – it is Arabic good manners to refuse at first. Be discreet, but insist. For independent employees – such as drivers, guides, horse handlers, couriers, etc., tipping is expected.

Jordanians are incredibly generous and ready to help. If you have a flat tire or confusion in a shop or a lost bag or hat, everyone in the vicinity will probably take the occasion to help and get to know you. In these cases traditional hospitality and care are being extended, and no tip is expected – indeed it might be quite misinterpreted, because there is no “business” being conducted. Likewise, if you are invited to a meal or tea, it is genuine and you are a guest. Don’t offer money! If you have been invited and have time to buy a small gift beforehand, however (sweets, for example) it will be appreciated. If it is an impromptu invitation in the middle of the desert or a street side shop, your graciousness and profuse thanks are all that’s required.

Shopping/Credit Cards: There will be many opportunity to shop during your trip. All major credit cards are accepted although some – not all – stores may charge you 3 – 5 % service fees if paying for your shopping with credit card. ATM machine are available all around the kingdom for you to use them.

Electrical System: The Electrical System in Jordan based on 220 AC volts, 50 Cycles and requires two-pronged wall plugs.

Currency and Exchange Rates: Jordan’s currency is the Jordanian Dinar, or JD. It is subdivided into 1000 fils, or 100 qirsh or pilasters. It appears in paper notes of 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 JD denominations. Coins come in denominations of 0.5 JD, 0.25 JD, and 100, 50, 25, 10 and 5 fils. The daily exchange rate is published in local newspapers.

Currency can be exchanged at major banks, exchange offices and hotels, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are plentiful in Jordan. They can be found at banks, in most Hotels and big shopping malls.

Eating & Drinking: You will find all kind of cuisines in Jordan but you need to try the national dishes. Local cuisine includes an array of appetizers called Mezza, such as Hummus and Tabbouleh. The traditional dish is Mansaf; a mix of lamb, rice and yoghurt. Pastries soaked in Syrup and pistachios are favorite desserts. Jordan is not a dry country and Alcoholic Drinks are served in International Hotels and lots of restaurants.

Time: Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) plus two hours in winter, GMT plus three hours in summer. Seven Hours ahead of United States Eastern standard time. (Summer in Jordan is observed April through October)