Jordan

This book is a photo travel guide book of Jordan - the kingdom in the center of the Middle East.


Since a picture tells more than 1000 words, this is the primary focus of this book, and I hope to give you an impression of the atmosphere and the highlights of the country and cities in a visual way. 


Since the content is mostly visual, I have a page at the end of the book with a number of links that can be relevant, if you have the need of more specific information on Jordan.


The Jordan history is part of the region of Transjordan. The area was settled by nomadic tribes in the Bronze Age, which consolidated in small kingdoms during the Iron Age. In the classic period, Transjordan came under Greek and later Roman influence. Under the Romans and the Byzantines, Transjordan was home to the Decapolis in the North, with much of the region being designated as Byzantine Arabia. Classical kingdoms located in the region of Transjordan, such as the Roman-era Nabatean kingdom, which had its capital in Petra, left particularly dramatic ruins. The history of Transjordan continued with the Muslim empires starting in the 7th century, partial crusader control in the mid-Middle Ages (country of Oultrejordain) and finally, Mamluk Sultanate (Cairo) since 13th century and the Ottoman Empire from the 16th century until World War I.


With the British mandate of Transjordan in early 1920s, it became the Emirate of Transjordan under the Hashemite Emir. In 1946, independent Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan was formed and admitted to the United Nations and the Arab League. In 1948, Jordan fought with the newly born state of Israel over lands of former Mandatory Palestine, effectively gaining control of the West Bank and annexing it with its Palestinian population. Jordan lost the West Bank in the 1967 War with Israel, and since became the central base of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in its struggle against Israel. The alliance between the PLO and the Jordanians, active during the War of Attrition, came to an end in the bloody Black September in Jordan in 1970, when a civil war between Jordanians and Palestinians took thousands of lives.


So if you are looking for at country with a friendly population that welcomes visitors from other countries, and has historic atmosphere and beautiful historic places then Jordan can support you with unique adventures.