Jordan culture

Jordan culture people food and festivals 

Jordan History, Language and Culture

History of Jordan

The area encompassed by the modern Kingdom of Jordan only had borders drawn around it in the 20th century. Before then, it was generally seen only as a small part of the larger Syria region.

Jordan was one of the locations where Stone Age hunter-gatherers settled for the first time, building villages and domesticating animals. Settlement expanded during the Bronze Age (roughly 3000-1200 BC), when Jordan also features in the Old Testament record: the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah were probably located on Jordan’s side of the Dead Sea.

During the Iron Age (1200-332 BC), Jordan clashed with the Israelites, then the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians, finally coming under Greek control. Around this time, an Arabian tribe known as Nabateans settled here, naming their capital Petra. They became fabulously wealthy, controlling the lucrative trade in frankincense and spices between Arabia and Europe.

In 106 AD the Romans absorbed the Nabatean kingdom, building new roads across Jordan, beautifying cities and fortifying the desert frontier. By the 4th century, Roman security was beginning to crumble. Christianity was adopted and Jordan became a centre for mosaic art.

Islamic armies conquered the region in 636. Jordan flourished under the Umayyad dynasty (661-750), which ruled from Damascus, but when power shifted east to the Baghdad-based Abbasid dynasty, Jordan fell into neglect. The invading European Christian armies of the Crusaders briefly occupied Jordan in the 12th century, but under the Ottomans Jordan became a backwater.

Following anti-Muslim pogroms in Russia in the 1870s, Circassian refugees settled in Jordan – then largely deserted – re-founding Amman and ushering in Jordan’s modern history. After the Ottoman Turks were repulsed during the Great Arab Revolt of 1916-17, Jordan won independence, first as a British-controlled emirate in 1923 under Abdullah I – a monarch from the Hashemite family of Mecca – then in 1946 as a fully-fledged independent kingdom

Jordan Culture

Religion: 

Over 92% Sunni Muslim, with 2% Shi'a and Druze Muslim. A significant Greek Orthodox Christian minority (6%) resides mainly in the villages around the hill city of Madaba.

Social conventions: 

Handshaking is the customary form of greeting. Jordanians are proud of their Arab culture and hospitality is a matter of great importance. Visitors are made to feel very welcome and Jordanians are happy to act as hosts and guides, keen to inform tourists about their traditions and culture. Islam always plays an important role in society. Arabic coffee will often be served continuously during social occasions. To signal that no more is wanted, slightly tilt the cup when handing it back, otherwise it will be refilled. If invited for dinner, a small gift is customarily given. Women are expected to dress modestly and beachwear must only be worn at private beaches or poolside.

Photography: It is polite to ask permission to take photographs of people and livestock; in some places photography is forbidden

Weaving

In the past, both nomadic Bedouins and villagers created hand woven rugs using ground looms or upright looms. This handicraft began to fade away as the Bedouins started to settle. In order to preserve the art, however, Jordanian artisans worked in partnership with the Save The Children Charity Organization and the Noor Al-Hussein Foundation to establish the Bani Hameeda Project, a self –help rug weaving "Cottage Industry" which provides independent supplemental income for rural and urban women. Jordanians continue to weave handmade rugs in the traditional dark shades of green, red, black and orange, although in recent years light pastel colors have also become popular.

Music

Music is also important in Jordanian life. Traditional Arabic music is based on a five-tone scale, unlike our Western seven-tone system. The rhythms are elaborate. Songs often tell stories of family, honor, love and death. Most instrumentalists accompany a vocalist rather than playing on their own, and improvisation is common. Some Arabic instruments include the oud (similar to a lute), the mizmarmujwiz or nay (both types of flute), the rababah (a type of violin with one string), and the gerbeh (like bagpipes). Small drums, played on the lap, are used to keep the rhythm. American pop and rock music is popular with younger Jordanian

Jordanian Cuisine

Rated among the finest in the world, Jordanian cuisine, while unique, is part of the Arabian culinary heritage. Food in the Arab world is more than simply a matter of nourishment. Feasting is a preoccupation and food is often at the center of social customs. In fact, eating rituals are very important throughout the Middle East, and, as a guest, you can be assured vast platters of succulent and nutritious food will be produced to honor your visit. A 'Jordanian invitation' means that the guest is expected to bring nothing and eat everything provided by the host.          

Dishes will satisfy even the health conscious, as many of them are prepared with grains, cheese, yogurt, fresh and dried fruits and vegetables. Rice, flat breads, legumes, olives, lamb or chicken, yogurt, vegetables and fruits are the staples for most meals. In addition, rice is the major ingredient of many dishes.

The national dish of Jordan is the Bedouin specialty called “Mansaf” – lamb seasoned with aromatic herbs, sometimes lightly spiced, cooked in dried yogurt, and served on a large platter with huge, quantities of rice, sprinkled with almonds, pine kernels, and other nuts. Feasting on Mansaf is taken seriously, and hours are spent in preparation. This extravagant cuisine is served primarily on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, as it possesses an important symbolic function within social gatherings.