History of Jordan

Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, has been a crossroads of civilizations for millennia. Its territory formed part of the ancient kingdoms of Edom, Moab and Ammon, whose biblical sites — such as Petra, Amman and Madaba — still draw visitors today.

Antiquity

The Nabataeans, an Arab people famous for their rock-carved capital Petra, established a trading empire between the 4th century BC and the 2nd century AD, controlling the incense and spice routes from Arabia to the Mediterranean. To the north, the Decapolis cities — including Jerash (Gerasa) and Umm Qais (Gadara) — flourished under the Romans, leaving some of the best-preserved Greco-Roman ruins in the Middle East.

Islamic Era and the Crusades

With the Islamic conquests of the 7th century, the region became part of the Umayyad Caliphate, whose desert castles (Qasr Amra, Qasr Kharana) dot the eastern steppe. During the Crusades, magnificent fortresses such as Kerak and Shobak were built and contested by the Ayyubids and Mamluks. The Ottoman Empire then ruled the region for four centuries from 1516 until the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, led by Sharif Hussein and supported by T. E. Lawrence.

The Hashemite Kingdom

The Emirate of Transjordan was established in 1921 under Abdullah I of the Hashemite dynasty; the country gained full independence in 1946 as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Under King Hussein (1953–1999) and his son King Abdullah II, Jordan has remained a stable, welcoming state, a sanctuary for refugees, and a champion of peace in the region — values that extend to its tourism industry today.

When you travel with a private tour driver in Jordan, local guides bring these 2,000-year-old stories to life at every monument.