Jordan News

 AMMAN — Art lovers on Tuesday evening flocked to the iconic Darat Al Funun — Khalid Shoman Foundation in Jabal Luweibdeh, where they witnessed the unfolding of the third and last iteration of the art foundation’s 30th anniversary celebrations, held under the theme “Truth is black, write over it with a mirage’s light”.

 AMMAN — European low-cost carriers Ryanair, EasyJet and Norwegian Airlines will start flights from several European cities to Amman and Aqaba as of November 1, an official said on Tuesday.

 AMMAN — The 2018 World Tourism Awards will be presented to the Jordan Trail Association, alongside two other winners on November 5, as part of the opening day of World Travel Market London, according to a statement by World Tourism Awards.

 AMMAN — The works of 30 emerging Jordanian artists on Saturday was inaugurated at the JODAR Artistry community art space, as part of a unique creative event held under the patronage of HRH Princess Alia. 

 AMMAN — An international competition organised by 10 leading sustainable tourism organisations and networks has named Ajloun Forest Reserve as one of the world’s top 100 sustainable destinations for 2018, in recognition of its responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives.

 Destinations such Petra, Amman Citadel and downtown Amman have received more visitors since beginning of this year, according to Jordan Tourism Board.

 AMMAN — A Spanish archaeological team has recently restored a 10,800-year-old painted lime floor unveiled at the Neolithic site of Kharaysin (Quneya, Zarqa), which is considered by the experts as “one of the first locations in the world where communities started building households and grouping as agricultural societies”.

 AMMAN — The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) has submitted the nomination of Burqu as a nature reserve to the Ministry of Environment, pending an approval from the Cabinet, RSCN Director General Yehya Khaled said on Wednesday.

AMMAN — In order to protect the rich cultural heritage of the Hishma Desert (Wadi Rum), two measures involving the local community are keys to success, experts said, citing the education of schoolchildren and the training of tour guides.

 AMMAN — Tourism Minister Lina Annab on Tuesday opened the 5th International Forum for Hospitality, Food Industries and Hotel Equipment “Horeca Jordan 2018” at the Zara Expo Exhibition Centre.

 AMMAN — A unique creative exchange programme is bringing together the seemingly opposite worlds of the small, medieval city of Durham in northeast England and the hilly metropolis of Amman, under the title "Alta'ir" (or "bird" in Arabic).

 AMMAN — New archaeological discoveries in Jerash have been described as “priceless” by historians and archaeologists, among them was an almost-whole sculpture of the Greek goddess of love and beauty "Aphrodite".

 Local women showcase their homemade dairy products including Labneh (strained yougurt) during Jerash Labneh Festival, a one-day event that was held Friday at the ancient Roman city of Jerash, 45km north of Amman, and included many activities such as kids games, traditional dancing and films.

 AMMAN — The annual Amman Book Fair attracted scores of people from all over the country who enjoy books, various cultural activities and signings from distinguished Jordanian authors over the weekend.

 AMMAN — Ramtha hosts Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the return leg of the Arab Club Champions Cup at Al Hassan Stadium in Irbid on Friday.

 AMMAN — Through the centuries, Madaba has been a symbol of cultural interaction and peaceful coexistence between different religions and cultural traditions, and its long history testifies of the important role of the area, said Italian archaeologist and co-director of the Madaba Regional Archaeological Museum Project (MRAMP) Andrea Polcaro, adding that "we believe it is one of the main values to be highlighted in the new museum of Madaba”.

 AMMAN — Jordan Motorsport has confirmed there will be a strong regional flavour to the official entry lists for this week’s inaugural Jordan Baja, the Kingdom’s first cross-country rally to run since 1990, according to the Jordan Motorsport Media Service.

 Jordan is generally considered a carefree country with very few rules and regulations, but as in any Arab country, there are still certain cultural norms you should be aware of. Here’s a list of things to bear in mind while travelling to this beautiful nation.

 AMMAN — Moving away from the traditional fundraising techniques, the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF)  is organising “Steps for Life”, an initiative that gives citizens the opportunity to support the treatment of underprivileged patients at the King Hussein Cancer Centre’s (KHCC) by engaging in an entertaining and healthy  hiking experience.

 AMMAN — The European Film Festival will kick off in Amman on Wednesday, and will be screening 19 movies. It will also launch a competition for local filmmakers.

 Jerash, considered an important Roman and Byzantine city, is slowly revealing its role during the Early Islamic period.

Tourism revenues rose by 12.7 per cent during the first ten months of this year to around $3.9 billion, up from $2.4 billion generated during the same period in 2016, the Central Bank of Jordan said.

Jordan this year witnessed an increase in the number of overnight religious tourists from countries targeted by promotion efforts, an official said on Wednesday.

AMMAN — The Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) on Monday launched a campaign to promote tourism in the city of Amman, under the title “#Amman24”, which has triggered tremendous enthusiasm among a diversified audience worldwide, thanks to effective interaction by social media influencers.

Tourism Minister Lina Annab announced that the first regional conference on “Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa [MENA]: Competitiveness for Sustainable Growth”, will be held on November 13 and 14 at the Grand Hyatt Amman Hotel.

 Insulated in the desert wilderness of southern Jordan, bedouins of Wadi Rum, 330km south of Amman, still preserve customs and traditions that benefit their harsh habitat.

 The drop in the level of the Dead Sea is causing grave concerns among environmentalists and planners in the region, with most of the drop caused by diversion in the headwaters feeding the sea, a geologist has said.

Among Jordanians, the city of Jerash is famous for its high quality, fresh dairy products, which are still prepared using traditional methods. 

Visitors to Jerash often purchase Labaneh Jarashiyeh, a kind of strained yoghurt, which is a signature product of the city, 48km north of Amman. 

 A “first-of-its-kind” Hellenistic temple in the Levant region has been discovered in Umm Qais, an archaeologist said on Monday.

An archaeological excavation team from Yarmouk University has recently discovered a Hellenistic temple and network of water tunnels, Atef Sheyyab, president of the archaeology department at the university told the Jordan Times.

Jordanian archaeologists have discovered an ancient temple that was built in the Hellenistic era in the third century BC. 

The archaeologists believe that the temple, located 120 kilometres north of the capital, Amman, was dedicated to Poseidon, the Ancient Greek god of seas.

AMMAN — The Second Janet Abu Lughod seminar, organised by Studio-X Amman and Sijal Institute for Arabic Language and Culture was a “wonderful opportunity to engage deeply with a diverse and bright group of participants in Amman on the singular topic of Qusayr Amra”, said Khaled Malas, a PhD candidate at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. 

Amman, northern Jordan is home to other ancient cities of the Decapolis. These include Jarash (Gerasa), Umm Qays (Gadara), Tabaqat Fahl or Fihil (Pella), Bayt Ras (Capitolias), and Quwayliba (Abila). Jarash, straddling one of the ancient world's key trade routes, offers extensive and breathtaking ruins of colonnaded streets, arches, temples, and baths in a remarkable state of preservation and completeness.

Residents of Wadi Rum have complained of Tourism Ministry’s ban on tourists’ trips to their area, insisting that the area is safe for guests and unaffected by tribal protests over the Jafer case.

The Ministry of Tourism on Saturday instructed tour operators not to take tourists to Wadi Rum, according to a ministry document obtained by The Jordan Times on Monday.

The Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) said on Sunday that the kingdom saw a rise in tourism revenues by 14.5% during the first half of the year to a total of $2.1 billion.

In a press release, the CBJ attributed the rise in the sector’s income to the growth in the number of tourists by 9.9% year-on-year.