Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
see how this route helped unify city-states into a recognisable Jordan between 1200 BC
and 333 BC.
The Greeks, Nabataeans and Romans dominated Jordan's most illustrious historical
period (333 BC-AD 333), leaving the magnificent legacies of Petra and Jerash. The ar-
rival of Islamic dynasties is evident from the 7th century onwards - in fact, the evidence is
literally strewn over the deserts of Eastern Jordan in the intriguing Umayyad structures
that dot the stark landscape. The conflict between Islam and Christianity, evident at
Jordan's crusader castles in Ajloun, Karak and Shobak, is a defining feature of the next
thousand years.
British imperialism dominates Jordan's history prior to the Arab Revolt of 1914. Ride a
camel through Wadi Rum and cries of 'To Aqaba' hang in the wind - and so does the
name of Lawrence, the British officer whose desert adventures have captured the imagina-
tion of visitors to such an extent that whole mountains are named after him! Thereafter,
Jordan's history is about independence, modernisation and cohabitation with difficult
neighbours.
The remainder of this chapter charts each of these periods in more detail.
