Jordan is a Muslim country where Islam is the major practiced religion, yet almost 10% of the population ( 7,200,000 ) practice Christianity.
The culture of Jordan follows Arab traditions as the Kingdom is in the heart of the Middle East. The official language is Arabic although English is widely used in commerce, government and taught at public and private schools.
Jordan has diverse communities with many different ethnic groups living in this small country, where 95% of Jordan's population are either Bedouin or from Palestinian origins. The remaining 5% come from different ethnic origins such as Circassia’s, Chechens, Armenians and Kurds.
Jordan is located in the heart of the Middle East. It is northwest of Saudi Arabia. Iraq is located to its east and Palestine to its west. Syria is located to its north. Jordan has access to the Red Sea via the port city of Aqaba, located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba.
Alongside traditional culture, Jordan's younger generation are producing new forms of music, arts and theatre. As such, new cultural hotspots are appearing with cafes, bookshops and galleries.
29,11 - 33,22 N, 34,59 - 39,18 E
Jordan is a very sunny country, with over 310 days of sunshine a year. The weather is almost exclusively dry and sunny from May to October, where there is barely any rainfall. Summers are hot but relatively pleasant due to the low humidity in the mountain heights with daytime temperatures frequently exceeding 36°C and averaging about 32°C, while nights are almost exclusively cool and pleasant. In the Jordan valley (dead sea area), summers can be very hot with temperatures reaching into the low forties on occasions, while Aqaba's weather in the south is similar to the Jordan valley’s but with less rainfall.
Hot and dry summers with cool evenings. The Jordan Valley ( dead sea area ), below sea level is warm during winter and extremely hot in summer. Rain falls between November and March, while colder weather conditions occur in December/January.
Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens are advised between May and September. Warmer clothes are necessary for winter and cool summer evenings. Rainwear is needed from November to April.
Daytime temperatures during the summer months frequently exceed 36°C and average about 32°C. In contrast, the winter months--November to April-bring moderately cool and sometimes cold weather, averaging about 13°C. Except in the rift depression, frost is fairly common during the winter, and it rarely snows in Amman.
Credit cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants and larger shops, including American Express, Visa, and MasterCard. Please note that many smaller shops still prefer cash payment in the Jordanian currency, and it’s essential for shopping in the local souks.
Jordan's currency is the Jordanian Dinar, or JD. It is subdivided into 1000 fils, or 100 qirsh or piasters. 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 rate of exchange is 1 JOD = 1.41 USD.
Currency can be exchanged at major banks, exchange booths and at most hotels. Street money-changers are best avoided. Exchange rates are set daily by the Jordanian Central Bank.
Wintertime: The Kingdom switches to wintertime on the last Friday in October by setting clocks one hour backward (GMT+2).
Daylight Saving Time: The Kingdom switches to DST on the last Friday in March by setting clocks one hour forward (GMT+3).
In Jordan used the AD and AH calendars , but accepted to be used in all departments and institutions and schools is the Gregorian calendar (the international).
The official Jordanian weekend is now Friday and Saturday. On these days, banks and most offices are closed. Post offices are open on Saturdays ; large shops in Amman (except supermarkets) will certainly be closed on Fridays, but are probably open on Saturdays. The franchise and malls open 7 days a week, as are nearly all small shops.
that are celebrated in the kingdom include the Prophet Muhammad's birthday, the two 'ids (festivals; 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha), and other major Islamic festivals, along with secular events such as Independence Day and the birthday of the late King Hussein.
Id al-Fitr (Arabic Festival of Breaking Fast) , also called al-'Id al-Saghir , first of two canonical festivals of Islam. 'Id al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar (though the Muslim use of a lunar calendar means that it may fall in any season of the year).
Eid al-Adha (Arabic Festival of Sacrifice) , also called 'Id al-Qurban or al-'Id al-Kabir (Major Festival) , the second of two great Muslim festivals, the other being 'Id al-Fitr. 'Id al-Adha marks the culmination of the hajj (pilgrimage) rites at Mina, Saudi Arabia, near Mecca, but is celebrated by Muslims throughout the world. As with 'Id al-Fitr, it is distinguished by the performance of communal prayer (salat) at daybreak on its first day. It begins on the 10th of Dhu'l-Hijja.
Most of nationalities can get the visa upon arrival to Jordan , or from Jordanian diplomatic and consular missions abroad or from major ports of entry according to regulations based on reciprocity with most of the countries for restricted nationalities.
Royal jordanian Is the official airline of Jordan, it is a regular international airline, founded in 9 of August 1963, and began operations in 15 December, 1963 , and was named Alia due to the daughter of King Hussaine, and it was provided by private sectors , and later it was purchased by the Jordanian government to provide the necessary support expansion of its activities.
Land entry into Jordan is possible through Egypt ,Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. at any other border crossing (except the King Hussein Bridge and the ferryboat from Egypt).. departure tax fees are 10 JD / $ 14 for single entry and 40 JD / $ 56 for multiple entries to be paid in local currency.
From Israel : there are three borders to cross to Jordan...
The Port of Aqaba is situated in southern Jordan on the north shore of the Gulf of Aqaba. It can accommodate ships handling a wide variety of cargos, from aqaba port you can travel by sea to taba and nwebe3 in Egypt.
Taxis are inexpensive and often the most convenient form of transportation in Jordan, even over substantial distances, such as the trip between Amman and Aqaba. The white-painted "service taxis" ride fixed routes and are shared. Private taxis are painted yellow; they can be taken from ranks outside larger hotels, or hailed in the street. Taxis have metres, but these are not always used at night, so it is advisable to agree on the cost beforehand. The same applies to long journeys. Taxi drivers are friendly, know the city well, and usually speak English. It is considered appropriate for a woman to sit in the back of the taxi.
Several companies offer charter bus and regular tours in a fleet of modern, air-conditioned coaches. For tourist license requires conditions that must be met by the tourist buses.
There is wide variety in Jordanian cuisine ranging from baking, sautéing and grilling to stuffing of vegetables (grape leaves, eggplants, etc.), meat, and poultry. Also common in Jordanian cuisine is roasting, and/or preparing foods with special sauces.
As one of the largest producers of olives in the world,[1] olive oil is the main cooking oil in Jordan. Herbs, garlic, spices, onion, tomato sauce and lemon are typical flavors found in Jordan. Jordanian food can vary from extremely hot and spicy to mild.
The most common and popular appetizer is hummus, which is a puree of chick peas blended with tahini, lemon, and garlic. Ful Medames is another well-known appetizer. A workers meal, today it has made its way to the tables of the upper class. A successful mezze must of course have koubba maqliya, labaneh, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, olives and pickles.
The most distinctive Jordanian dish is mansaf, the national dish of Jordan,[2][3] a symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity.
Although simple fresh fruit is often served towards the end of a Jordanian meal, there is also dessert, such as baklava, hareeseh, knafeh, halva and qatayef a dish made specially for Ramadan.
In Jordanian cuisine, drinking coffee and tea flavored with na'na or meramiyyeh is almost a ritual.
Alcohol is widely available at bars and hotels across Jordan. During Ramadan, drinks are only available to visitors in their hotels. Alcohol can also be bought from supermarkets.
The electrical system in Jordan is based on 220 AC volts, 50 cycles and requires two-pronged wall plugs. Visitors from North America will need an adapter, which is available at most hotels.
The Emergency Numbers for Police ,Fire Department or civil protection and Ambulance and first aid is (199).
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Mecca St., Building #164
947589 Amman 11194 Jordan
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+962 6 551 6251
+962 79 52 666 33
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