Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The city, which became the capital in 1921, remained quite small until 1948, when the pop-
ulation rapidly expanded due to an influx of Palestinian refugees following the Arab-Israeli
War. This was boosted by a second wave in 1967 after the Six Day War.
The influx of Palestinians together with those already on the West Bank within Jordan had
resulted in the original Jordanians being reduced to only a third of the population.
This had a destabilising effect and King Hussein said that the Palestinian problem spelled
“life or death” for Jordan and would remain the country's overriding national security issue.
Despite various agreements to ameliorate the tensions, the Palestinians became a State
within a State and the number of clashes between the Jordanian military and the Palestini-
ans increased, including several assassination attempts against Hussein.
One provocation led to another and King Hussein declared martial law, mobilised his forces
and attacked the PLO. Fighting continued sporadically and then with increasing ferocity
until mid 1971 when the Palestinians were defeated, despite Syrian incursions to support
them. The Palestinian defeat led to the formation of the Black September terrorist group,
which perpetrated a number of revenge attacks on Jordan, Israel and the West. Probably
the most memorable of these being the massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich
Olympic Games.
More recently in 2005 the terrorist group al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for coordinated
explosions at three hotels in Amman, targeting amongst other things, a Jordanian wedding
procession - causing widespread revulsion against terrorism across the entire nation.
The population currently comprises about 6 million and is growing rapidly, boosted again
by refugees, from places such as Iraq following the two Gulf Wars. The fact that Jordan is
at peace with the surrounding countries, combined with its stability, makes it the preferred
destination for many Palestinians, Lebanese and Persian Gulf immigrants and refugees.
The influx has contributed to rapid economic growth, but it has also put a strain on the
country's limited resources, creating a problem that will not go away.
Amman, although a bustling vibrant city, has only limited sites of interest for a visitor. It
has its Souk, although it is not extensive, and it has its Citadel, which sits on a prominent
hill in the old part of town. Known as the home of the Temple of Hercules, it was construc-
ted under the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, with claims that it is similar to the Temple
of Artemis in Ephesus. Having been to Ephesus, I couldn't see the comparison and today it
comprises a few dusty columns, an ancient battered mosque and a nearby lack-lustre mu-
seum.
