Jordan travel guide

During Jordan’s history, invaders have come from all directions, sometimes ruling all of what is modern Jordan, sometimes merely a part of it. The Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and Mesopotamians came in from the east. From the south came the Nabateans, while western invaders were Pharonic Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, Byzantines and Crusaders.

Archaeological sites and monuments from these diverse ancient civilisations are scattered across the country. Many are of great international importance and acclaim, most notably the ancient city of Petra.

From the middle of the 7th century AD Jordan has been ruled by various Arab and Islamic dynasties, the last of which was the Ottoman Empire, brought to an end by the Arab Revolt (the battlefield of TE Lawrence) during World War I, which then ushered in the current constitutional monarchy.

In the tradition of the Hashemite family dynasty to which he belongs, Jordan’s current ruler, King Abdullah II, is considered to be a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. He is the longest-serving Arab leader, and that, along with Jordan’s political stability, may in no small part be related to Abdullah’s moderate approach to Islam, his respect of other faiths, and his willingness to make democratic reforms – though concerns about freedom of expression remain.