Jordan, the heart of the East. |
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Collection title
History and Tourism
First broadcast date
2003
Abstract
Petra is one of the oldest places on Earth, it is the Jewel of the cities and a unique architectural masterpiece. Under the pillars of Jerash and from the ruins of Oum El Quais, we see the prints of ancient civilizations. Jordan, the heart of ancient East and a starting place of the world history.
There are big resorts, touristic restaurants, theatres and cinemas in Amman and other cities to serve the growing number of Arab and foreign visitors who spend their annual holidays throughout the Kingdom.
Broadcaster
JRTV - Jordan Television
Audiovisual form
Documentary
Primary theme
Tourism and cultural sites
Secondary themes
- Art, Culture and Knowledge
- Historical heritages / Byzantine Empire
- Historical heritages / Arab and muslim worlds
- Tourism and cultural sites / Museum
- Tourism and cultural sites / Archaeological sites
- Tourism and cultural sites / Tourist sites
Credits / Cast
- Derouza Sawsan - Author of original work
- Omar Nacer - Director
Map locations
- Jordan - Jordan valley - Different tourist sites
Additional information
The Dead Sea - mountains - plains - sahara - Petra - Um Qais - tourists - hotels - restaurants - theatres - cinemas - Roman amphitheatre - tourism / archaeological sites in Jerash
Context
Jordan, at the heart of the Orient
Norig Neveu
This short video is to promote Jordan's main historical and tourist sites. The sites listed typify the country's national heritage policies. There are several sequences of Umm Qays, Jarash and Amman (ancient Philadelphia). These ancient semi-autonomous cities of the Decapolis were important regional centres after the Roman conquest. Also shown is Petra, the capital of the Nabataeans, a nomadic people who ruled a region from the Sinai to Hejaz between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. Their political and economic power was partly due to the fact they controlled the major trade routes. Since 1985, the site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In addition to these ancient sites, the video shows Mount Nebo where according to biblical tradition Moses died. From the 1930s, the site has been excavated by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land of Jerusalem. A church and a monastery from the Byzantine period were discovered. In 2000 Pope John Paul II, followed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 visited this place as part of their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. These archaeological sites, places of historical importance reaching far back into ancient history, are the most popular in Jordan. For that reason they are heavily promoted by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The interest of western travellers and Orientalists in ancient and Christian sites influenced how the Jordanian heritage was seen during the British mandate. Some of these ideas were behind the definition of Jordanian national identity, its traditions, its history and its heritage when the country gained independence.
The video also emphasizes the importance of a national Islamic heritage. Several key sites are shown as part of this. Among them, the mausoleum of Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, Companion of the Prophet. This historical figure commanded the battles Fahl (635) and Yarmouk (636) which confirmed the conquest of Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria) by Muslim armies. The Umayyad heritage is also represented through Qasr 'Amra. This bath-house, known for its interior frescoes, was one of the desert castles built by the Umayyad princes for political and economic reasons. The fortress of Ajloun appears at the end of the film to emphasize the importance of Jordan during the battles of Saladin's armies against the Crusaders. All the places shown in this documentary are the foundations for rewriting a national Islamic history of Jordan to demonstrate the importance of the territory throughout Islamic history and to present the country as directly descended from the different Islamic dynasties.
This film is also trying to promote tourism activity, which since 1980 has been a vital part of Jordan's economy. The sites shown here fit into the country's official history, which places Jordan at the centre of Arab-Islamic history.
Bibliography
Riccardo Bocco et Géraldine Chatelard, Jordanie : le royaume frontière, Paris, Autrement, 2001.
George Joffé, Jordan in transition, 1990-2001, Londres, Hurst and Co., 2002.
Irene Maffi, Politiques du patrimoine et politiques de la mémoire en Jordanie, entre histoire dynastique et récits communautaires, Dijon-Quetriny, Edition Payot Lausanne, 2004, p.358.
Norig Neveu, «La sacralisation du territoire jordanien, Reconstruction des lieux saints nationaux, 1980-2006», in Archives de Sciences sociales des Religions, no 151, 2010, pp. 107-128.
