The Rough Guide to Jordan

by Matthew Teller

INTRODUCTION Western travellers have been exploring the Middle East for well over a century, but Jordan remains a newcomer to tourism, welcoming only a fraction of the numbers who visit its near neighbours. The country's popular image abroad encompasses not much more than proud desert nomads ruled by a wise king, and almost nothing is known of Jordan's mountains and beaches, castles and ancient churches, the urbanity of its people and richness of its culture. However, in the last decade the country has woken up to marketing its spectacular assets to the world. Tourist facilities are now well advanced, and for the curious few, there is no better time to visit. Although surrounded by instability, Jordan is the safest country in the Middle East by quite a long way, a comforting fact which allows you to switch your concentration away from suspicious packages towards the stunning landscapes around you. The country is largely desert, but this one bland word covers a multitude of scenes, from the dramatic red sands and towering cliffs of the far south to the endless stony plains of volcanic basalt in the east. Also packed into this tiny wedge of land are the lush olive-rich hills of the north, teetering over the plunging rift of the Jordan Valley, which in turn runs down to the Dead Sea, lowest point on earth. The centre of the country is carpeted with tranquil fields of wheat, which are cut through by expansive canyons and bordered by arid, craggy mountains. At the southernmost tip of the country, beaches fringe the warm waters of the Red Sea, harbouring some of the most spectacular coral reefs in the world. Jordan is part of the land bridge linking Europe, Africa and Asia, and has seen countless armies come and go - Greeks, Romans, Muslims, Christian Crusaders and more - all of whom have left evidence of their conquests. There are literally thousands of ruins and archeological sites from all periods in every corner of the country. In addition, Israel and Palestine, Jordan's neighbours to the west, have no monopoly on biblical Lot sought refuge from the fire and brimstone of the Lord in Jordan; Moses, Aaron and John the Baptist all died in Jordan; and Jesus may well have been baptized here. Even the Prophet Muhammad passed through. And yet the country is far from being stuck in the past. Amman is a thoroughly modern capital, and Jordan's respectable economic growth means that grinding poverty is the rare exception rather than the rule. Kids may sell you cigarettes or offer to shine your shoes, but more desperate begging goes on in the streets of any European or North American city than in the whole of Jordan. Government is stable, with leanings towards full democracy, and, due largely to the unique political astuteness of King Hussein, manages to be simultaneously pro-Western, pro-Arab, founded on a bedrock of Muslim authority and dedicated to ongoing peace with Israel. Domestic extremism is virtually non-existent. Women are better integrated into positions of power in government and business than almost anywhere else in the Middle East, military conscription was abolished in 1991, and Jordanians are exceptionally highly educated - at any one time, more than a third of the entire population is enrolled at an educational institution. Traditions of hospitality are ingrained, and taking up some of the many invitations you'll get to tea or a meal will expose you to an outlook among local people that is often as cosmopolitan and world-aware as anything at home. Jordan has small ethnic minorities of Circassians and Chechens, as well as a Christian Arab minority, but well over ninety percent of the country's population are Muslim Arabs. Most people take great pride in their ancestry, and whether they're present or former desert-dwellers (bedouin) or from a settled farming tradition (fellaheen), most are born into a sub-clan of one of the dozens of tribes whose lands spread out over the entire Middle East in a patchwork of sheikhdoms. Aside from representing a noble heritage, tribes also wield a great deal of institutional power in Jordan, and, in theory, serve as community mouthpieces on the national stage - most members of Jordan's lower house of parliament are independents elected on a tribal ticket. In effect, the system seems shot through with nepotism, serving to muffle local voices, but most rural people in particular still stay loyal to their tribe above political considerations. The king, as sheikh of sheikhs, commands heartfelt loyalty among many people and, as the sole Arab world statesman, deep respect among most of the rest; people pin his photo up everywhere, but unlike in Syria or Iraq, there's no compulsion - spoken or unspoken - for them to do so. Even if you're in the country for only a few days, it's quite likely you'll come up against perhaps the thorniest issue in modern Jordan - that of national identity. Due to the upheavals in neighbouring Israel and Palestine since the foundation of the State...

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Guidebook

368 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Matthew Teller writes for the BBC, The Times, Guardian, Independent, Financial Times and other global media. He has produced and presented documentaries for BBC Radio 4 and World Service, and has reported for 'From Our Own Correspondent' from around the Middle East and beyond. He is the author of several travel guides, including the Rough Guide to Jordan. His most recent book is Quite Alone: Journalism from the Middle East 2008-2019,

Reviews

[Theut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utilissima guida per pianificare un viaggio in Giordania.

[Ralph N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Served as a good basis for my short stay in Jordan. So excited for the trip!

[Ale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanti spunti interessanti e consigli utili.
Peccato però per la totale mancanza di foto dei luoghi di cui si parla.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guide proved to be an excellent companion to the LP Middle East book. Though the maps are often a bit childish and not necessarily accurate, the information regarding the sites is spot on!

I prefer Rough Guides when trying to learn about a site as they offer much more than a simply run on sentence describing a place. Sure, food and lodging is lacking and the maps are almost useless but, that's why I still carry an LP everywhere!

For example, when visiting the ancient city of Jerash, this book did a great job of walking us through the site, explaining everything along the way. . .it just took us an LP to find our way there in the first place

;-)

[Sannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rough Guide to Jordan is super informative and has excellent recommendations. It's a handy guide to have because it's filled with historical facts and considering the majority of stuff you will be seeing is historical, it enriches the experience much more. The information in the latest edition was super up-to-date with the only exception that the prices in Petra were hiked. Of course, you can't rely on a printed book to have everything perfect. The maps though were helpful, from Amman to Madaba to Petra to Aqaba.

The only thing that would've made me love this book more would be more color pictures. However, the information definitely more than makes up for it.

[Tito Quiling, Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up at a school fair as recommended by a professor when we were browsing through the piles of secondhand books in the lobby and I have been interested in Jordan upon stumbling the Petra structures. Any Rough Guide titles leads one to think that any adventure is worth going through, despite certain constraints and limitations, and for this one, Jordan holds so much more than the rock formations, its veiled religious camps, and its proximity to warring countries.

[Ricardo Ribeiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was extremely surprised from the moment I got this guide. It is the best guide ever. And I own about 30 or 40 guides. Amazing how it's possible to stuff that amount of information in a single volume. Everything about every possible subject. Great organization of information, written in a great style, extremely funny and providing a great reading. I would be the happiest traveler if most of the guide books were like this. Unfortunately they aren't, but those are different stories.

[Cathy Yee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful. The book recommendations for further reading were helpful.