CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF JORDAN John A. Shoup Greenwood Press CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF JORDAN Jordan. Cartography by Bookcomp, Inc. CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF JORDAN John A. Shoup Culture and Customs of the Middle East Greenwood Press Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shoup, John A. Culture and customs of Jordan / John A. Shoup. p. cm. — (Culture and customs of the Middle East, ISSN 1550–1310) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–313–33671–7 (alk. paper) 1. Ethnology—Jordan. 2. Jordan—Social life and customs. I. Title. GN635.J6S56 2006 306.095695—dc22 2006029541 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2007 by John A. Shoup All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006029541 ISBN-10: 0–313–33671–7 ISBN-13: 978–0–313–33671–3 ISSN: 1550–1310 First published in 2007 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Series Foreword vii Acknowledgments ix Preface xi Chronology xiii 1. Land, People, and History of Jordan 1 2. Religion and World View 29 3. Literature and Media 45 4. Architecture, Art, and Traditional Crafts 55 5. Traditional Cuisine and Costume 71 6. Gender, Marriage, and Family 87 7. Social Customs and Lifestyle 99 8. Music and Dance 109 Glossary 117 Bibliography 125 Index 129 Series Foreword At last! Culture and Customs of the Middle East fi lls a deep void in reference literature by providing substantial individual volumes on crucial countries in the explosive region. The series is available at a critical juncture, with, among other events, the recent war on Iraq, the continued wrangling by U.S. interests for control of regional oil resources, the quest for Palestinian inde- pendence, and the spread of religious fundamentalist violence and repression. The authoritative, objective, and engaging cultural overviews complement and balance the volley of news bites. As with the other Culture and Customs series, the narrative focus is on contemporary culture and life, in a historical context. Each volume is written for students and general readers by a country expert. Contents include: Chronology Context, including land, people, and brief historical overview Religion and world view Literature Media Cinema Art and architecture/housing Cuisine and dress Gender, marriage, and family Social customs and lifestyle Music and dance Glossary Bibliography Index Photos and country map viii Series Foreword Acknowledgments Any work such as this always includes a large number of people who have helped one way or another. I would like to begin by thanking the Bedouin families who allowed me to live with them and to come back numerous times. I would like to especially express my gratitude to Muhammad Abu Shahir al-Faqir, his wife, ‘Allal Umm Shahir, and their whole family for tak- ing me in and making me one of them. I would also like to make special mention of Dakhl Allah Qublan and family, ‘Ali Mutlaq and family, and Musa Huwaymil and family. I would also like to thank Elias Muqhar and his wife, Kay, Muhammad Fath Allah al-Bukhari and family, ‘Abd al-Muhsin and Khalid Dughaythir for not only their help in the fi eld but also for their generosity and willingness to share with me their knowledge of the region, its history, and culture. I would like to express my thanks to Dr. Philip Ham- mond who introduced me to the Bedouin in southern Jordan and for his constant encouragement. I want to thank Dr. Michael Fuller and his wife, Neathery Batsell Fuller, who allowed to assist in the ethnoarcheological work at ‘Ayn Quwaylbah (Abilah), which gave me the chance to spend time in villages in northern Jordan. It would be remiss if I didn’t express my thanks to Dr. Rebecca Torstrick who recommended my name to Greenwood Press. I want to mention both Wendi Schnaufer and Kaitlin Ciarmiello of Greenwood who have been such good working partners, though all via email. Finally, I want to thank my parents who have always encouraged all of us to do what we want to even if others thought I should get a “real” job. [...]... numbers of Palestinians increased as a result of the growing frictions between Arab Palestinians and Jews following World War I that finally erupted into the Palestinian Revolt of 1936 to 1939 Other waves of Palestinians came as a result of the hostilities and wars between Israel and its Arab neighbors in 1948 and 1967 Palestinians were often better educated 8 Culture and Customs of Jordan and skilled... Arabia 4 Culture and Customs of Jordan CITIES, TOWNS, VILLAGES, AND TENTS 79 percent of Jordan s 5.7 million people live in the urban communities of ‘Amman, al-Zarqa’, Irbid, al-Salt, Karak, and the southern port city of al-‘Aqabah While of cially the population of ‘Amman is placed at 1.1 million people, if the greater ‘Amman area (from al-Zarqa’ and Suwaylah in the north to Yaduda in the south and west... Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem builds castle called Montreal at Showbak in southern Jordan to raid Muslim caravans going between Syria, the Hijaz, and Egypt—other forts and castles were built or rebuilt in southern Jordan and on the Island of Graye or Jazirat Far‘un in the Gulf of ‘Aqabah Turkish military commander Tughtagin rules Damascus and most of Jordan for the Fatamids of Egypt Battle of Sarmada first... Jordan Jordan is a country that is both old and new The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan dates to only 1946 when the Emirate of the Transjordan became independent; however, the Kingdom includes some of the oldest sites where humans first settled into permanent villages The present borders of the Kingdom were carved out of former provinces of the Ottoman Turkish Empire and throughout most of its history, Jordan. .. The geography and environment of Jordan have been major factors in the settlement patterns and economic systems throughout its history The availability or lack of water supply has been and remains today the single most important environmental factor, and some 80 percent of the country is desert 2 Culture and Customs of Jordan receiving less than 5 inches (150 millimeters) of rain a year There are few... begin series of wars with local kingdoms both in Transjordan and Cisjordan (Palestine) that will last until the Babylonians destroy Judah Saul rules Kingdom of Israel—consolidates control on both sides of the Jordan River King David—wars with Raboth Ammon, Moab, and Edom Assyrian Empire—numerous campaigns against the kingdoms of Syria, Jordan, and Palestine King Soloman—height of power and control over... for agricultural marketing Jordan has a large number of villages, and like the cities and towns, some date back to the origins of settled life The villages are the backbone of Jordan s agricultural sector, which is still one of the major sources of income The distinction between village, town, and city is becoming more and more blurred as urban centers like ‘Amman and Irbid expand into communities that... ancient population of Jordan is attested to in the names of such tribal peoples as the Kedarites (in the Old Land, People, and History of Jordan 5 Testament) and the names of tributary or rebellious “kings” and “queens” such as Jindibu the Arab, who joined the rebellion against the Assyrian Shalmaneser III (858–824 b.c.), and Samsi or Shamsi who was Queen of the Taymah Oasis at the time of Sargon II (721–705... “goodbye,” and numerous other uses Also frequently heard is marhabtayn, which again means “twice welcome.” In fact, Jordan is called the Land of Ahlan wa Sahlan, the Land of Welcome, both by its own people and other Arabs in the Middle East Jordan remains the Land of Welcome where traditional Arab hospitality is always given to the stranger with no questions asked as well as an island of peace and stability... of activity with the expansion of civil rule, the settlement of non-Arab Circassians and Shishans, and the opening of the Hijaz Railway In World War I, Arab-Bedouin troops commanded by their shaykhs and the British of cer T E Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) made international news and captured Damascus ending centuries of Ottoman rule in the Arab world Jordan became one of the important new states confronting . CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF JORDAN John A. Shoup Greenwood Press CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF JORDAN Jordan. Cartography by Bookcomp, Inc. CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF JORDAN John A. Shoup Culture. Shoup Culture and Customs of the Middle East Greenwood Press Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shoup, John A. Culture and customs of Jordan / John. — (Culture and customs of the Middle East, ISSN 1550–1310) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–313–33671–7 (alk. paper) 1. Ethnology Jordan. 2. Jordan Social life and customs.