Traditions:

Jordan Daily life and social customs:

Jordan is an integral part of the Arab world and thus shares a cultural tradition common to the region. The family is of central importance to Jordanian life. Although their numbers have fallen as many have settled and adopted urban culture, the rural Bedouin population still follows a more traditional way of life, preserving customs passed down for generations. Village life revolves around the extended family, agriculture, and hospitality; modernity exists only in the form of a motorized vehicle for transportation. Urban-dwelling Jordanians, on the other hand, enjoy all aspects of modern, popular culture, from theatrical productions and musical concerts to operas and ballet performances. Most major towns have movie theatres that offer both Arab and foreign films. Younger Jordanians frequent Internet cafés in the capital, where espresso is served at computer terminals.

The country's cuisine features dishes using beans, olive oil, yogurt, and garlic. Jordan's two most popular dishes are msakhan, lamb or mutton and rice with a yogurt sauce, and mansaf, chicken cooked with onions, which are both served on holidays and on special family occasions. Daily fare includes khubz (flatbread) with vegetable dips, grilled meats, and stews, served with sweet tea or coffee flavored with cardamom.

Holidays 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.

Food & Drink: The cuisine varies, although most restaurants have a mixed menu which includes both Arabic and European dishes. Dishes include meze (small starters such as fool, humus, kube and tabouleh); a variety of kebabs; Mahshi Waraq ’inab (vine leaves stuffed with rice, minced meat and spices); musakhan (chicken in olive oil and onion sauce roasted on Arab bread); and the Jordanian speciality mensaf (stewed lamb in a yogurt sauce served on a bed of rice), a dish which is normally eaten with the hand. Sweets are very popular and include: baklawa (pastry filled with nuts or honey); knafa (pastry filled with nuts or goats cheese); ataif (small fried pancakes filled with nuts or cheese and traditionally eaten during Ramadan); and mohallabiya (milk-based pudding perfumed with rose water or orange). Drinking Arabic coffee is a ritual. Coffee tends to be very strong and is served in small cups (with plenty of coffee grounds at the bottom). Local beer, wine and other types of alcohol are served in most restaurants and bars, except during the fasting month of Ramadan (non-Arabic nationals can drink alcohol only in hotels during Ramadan).

Climate:

Hot and dry summers with cool evenings. The Jordan Valley 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.

The major characteristic of the climate is the contrast between a relatively rainy season from November to April and very dry weather for the rest of the year. With hot, dry, uniform summers and cool, variable winters during which practically all of the precipitation occurs, the country has a Mediterranean-style climate. In general, the farther inland from the Mediterranean Sea a given part of the country lies, the greater are the seasonal contrasts in temperature and the less rainfall. Atmospheric pressures during the summer months are relatively uniform, whereas the winter months bring a succession of marked low pressure areas and accompanying cold fronts. These cyclonic disturbances generally move eastward from over the Mediterranean Sea several times a month and result in sporadic precipitation.  

Most of the East Bank receives less than twelve centimeters of rain a year and may be classified as a dry desert or steppe region. Where the ground rises to form the highlands east of the Jordan Valley, precipitation increases to around thirty centimeters in the south and fifty or more centimeters in the north. The Jordan Valley, lying in the lee of high ground on the West Bank, forms a narrow climatic zone that annually receives up to thirty centimeters of rain in the northern reaches; rain dwindles to less than twelve centimeters at the head of the Dead Sea.  

The country's long summer reaches a peak during August. January is usually the coolest month. The fairly wide ranges of temperature during a twenty-four-hour period are greatest during the summer months and have a tendency to increase with higher elevation and distance from the Mediterranean seacoast. 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 occasionally snows in Amman.

 For a month or so before and after the summer dry season, hot, dry air from the desert, drawn by low pressure, produces strong winds from the south or southeast that sometimes reach gale force. Known in the Middle East by various names, including the khamsin, this dry, sirocco-style wind is usually accompanied by great dust clouds. Its onset is heralded by a hazy sky, a falling barometer, and a drop in relative humidity to about 10 percent. Within a few hours there may be a 10°C to 15°C rise in temperature. These windstorms ordinarily last a day or so, cause much discomfort, and destroy crops by desiccating them.

 The shammal, another wind of some significance, comes from the north or northwest, generally at intervals between June and September. Remarkably steady during daytime hours but becoming a breeze at night, the shammal may blow for as long as nine days out of ten and then repeat the process. It originates as a dry continental mass of polar air that is warmed as it passes over the Eurasian landmass. The dryness allows intense heating of the earth's surface by the sun, resulting in high daytime temperatures that moderate after sunset.

Visa Information:

Important Notice : Please Note that these regulations are changed on a regular basis by the different governments, jordantours-travel.com can not be liable for any information that could have been changed since we checked it. It is the responsibility of each passenger to check the different conditions of entry to the desired country

Visas are issued from Jordanian diplomatic and consular missions abroad or from major ports of entry according to regulations based on reciprocity with all countries according to the following categories:

Citizens of the following countries are required to obtain a visa 2-4 weeks in advance:

A. Africa:
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d'lviore, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia.

B. Asia:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Iran, Laos, Lebanon, Mangolia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam.

C.Europe:
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia.

D. South America:
Belize, Colombia, Cuba.

Citizens from all other countries except for those from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (exempt from visa to Jordan), are required to obtain a visa from the Jordanian missions, consulates abroad or border points upon their arrival to kingdom.

Applicants for a visa should attach a recent colored photo with the passport (minimum validity of six months) and fees.

Since Jordan's membership with the WTO, visa fees were set as follows:

• 1- JD10 for a single entry.
• 2- JD20 for a multiple entry.

Take note: (Each exchange rate for $1.50 or euro1 is JD1)

Jordan Location  

Geographic coordinates: 31 00 N, 36 00 E

Location: Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia 

Area: 89,342 sq km (34,495 sq miles; not including West Bank).

Population: 5,329,000 (2002). The West Bank is now administered by the Palestinian National Authority; see Israel section for details of area and population.

Population Density: 59.6 per sq km.

Capital: Amman. Population: 2,027,685 (2002).

Land boundaries: total: 1,635 km

border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km 

 Borders:  Travel by Land

Visitors with a valid passport may obtain a visa at any Jordanian embassy, consulate, or legation abroad. You can also obtain a visa upon arrival at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport or at any other border crossing (except the King Hussein Bridge and the ferryboat from Egypt).. Visa fees are 10 JD / $ 14 for single entry and 20 JD / $ 28 for multiple entries to be paid in local currency and are valid for two weeks but can be extended at any police station. Few formalities need to be observed when departing Jordan. A departure tax of 5 JD is paid at any border crossings except the airports. 

Land entry into Jordan is possible through Egypt ,Israel, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

 From Syria: Coming to Jordan by road from Syria, you can cross into Jaber or Ramtha.
Jaber is 80 kms away from Amman and is most commonly used by visitors while Ramtha 90 kms away is mainly for cargo. Both borders are open 24/7 throughout the year.

 From Israel : Jordan is on Israel’s eastern border, and the border crossings between the two countries have been open since the 1994 Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty, with three crossing points currently in operation.

The Wadi ArabaTerminal : The Wadi Araba Terminal, was the first border crossing to be opened between Jordan and Israel.  Located about three kilometers north of Aqaba & Eilat, it serves those interested in short visits between the two countries.  It is used by tourists and Israelis, as well as for cargo. 

Wadi Araba Crossing/South Border, located in the south, 324 kms away from Amman, connecting the two Red Sea resorts of Eilat and Aqaba. These are open Sun – Thurs 06:30hrs – 22:00hrs and Fri – Sat 0800hrs – 20:00hrs. At these crossing, visas for most nationalities can be obtained at the border; prior permits are not needed except for restricted nationalities. Wadi Araba Crossing closes on Islamic New Year day and Yom Kippur.

The Allenby Border Terminal (King Hussein Bridge)

 The Allenby Border Terminal is the southernmost Jordan River crossing.  Located in the Jordan Valley, east of Jericho (Yerikho), it is about an hour’s drive from Jerusalem in Israel and from Amman in Jordan, and is the shortest route between Amman and the cities in Israel’s center.  The terminal also serves the Palestinian Authority, and is permitted for use by Palestinians and foreign tourists.  It is also a cargo crossing point between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan. 

The Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, 57 kms away from Amman, located in the southern Jordan Valley, is open Sun. – Thurs. 08:00hrs – 20:00hrs for arrivals and 8:00 to 14:00 for departures and Fri-Sat 08:00hrs – 13:00hrs.

PLEASE NOTE: 

Prior visas must be arranged and cannot be obtained at the border. Private cars and tour buses cannot cross – travelers must change vehicles upon crossing or use the other two border crossings.

The Jordan River Border Terminal (Sheikh Hussein crossing)

 Sheikh Hussein crossing /North Border, 90 kms away from Amman. located in the north close to Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee), open 24/7 throughout the year.

From Iraq: Coming to Jordan by road from Iraq through Al Karamah Border Crossing which is 331 kms away from Amman and is open 24/7 throughout the year.

 

From Saudi Arabia: There are three border crossings with Saudi Arabia from the east

• Umari Border Crossing: 155 kms away from Amman and is open 24/7 throughout the year.
 

• Mudawara Border Crossing: 322 kms away from Amman, and is open 24/7 throught the year.
 

• Durra Border Crossing: It is in the south , 349 kms away from Amman and is open 24/7 throuhgout the year.
 

Religion:

Virtually the entire population is Sunni Muslim (member of one of the two major branches of Islam, the branch that consists of the majority of that religion's adherents. Sunnite Muslims regard their sect as the mainstream and traditionalist branch of Islam, as distinguished from the minority sect, the Shi'ites.)

 Christians constitute most of the rest, of whom two-thirds adhere to the Greek Orthodox church. Other Christian groups include the Greek Catholics, also called the Melchites, or Catholics of the Byzantine rite, who recognize the supremacy of the Roman pope; the Roman Catholic community, headed by a pope-appointed patriarch; and the small Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch, or Syrian Jacobite Church, whose members use Syriac in their liturgy.

Most non-Arab Christians are Armenians, and the majority belong to the Gregorian, or Armenian, Orthodox church, while the rest attend the Armenian Catholic Church. There are several Protestant denominations representing communities whose converts came almost entirely from other Christian sects.

Over 90 per cent Sunni Muslim, with Christian and Shi’i Muslim minorities.

Useful Arabic Words & Phrases:

(m) for male and (f) for female