Culture of Jordan

Jordanian dabke at Jerash festival

Part of a series on
Jordan
Geography
Climate  · Governorates  · Nahias Cities  · The Mediterranean Dead Sea  · Red Sea  · River Jordan Nature reserves  · Extreme points
History
Nabataeans  · Hashemites Islamic Empire  · Ottoman Empire Arab Revolt  · Sykes-Picot Mandate for Palestine  · Transjordan PLO  · Black September 2011 protests
Arab-Israeli conflict
1948 War  · 1967 War  · 1973 War Israel–Jordan peace treaty
Economy
International rankings Globalization Agriculture  · Defense industry Tourism  · Petra world heritage site Oil shale  · Renewable energy Atomic energy  · Water supply
Demographics  · Culture
Religion  · Islam Christianity  · Catholicism Freedom of religion Arabic language Art  · Cinema  · Cuisine Music  · Sports  · Scouts and Guides Holidays  · Famous Jordanians
Health · Education
Hospitals  · Medical education Universities  · University of Jordan Education and Research Ministry
Government and Politics
Constitution  · Kings Prime Ministers  · Cabinet Parliament  · Political parties  · Elections Law enforcement  · Central Bank Foreign affairs  · Human rights
Armed Forces
Land Force  · Air Force  · Naval Force Special Forces  · Maintenance Corps Intelligence Department His Majesty's Special Security Design and Development Bureau Military ranks  · Arab Legion
Transportation
Airports  · Railways Royal Jordanian Airlines Aqaba seaport
Communications
Newspapers  · Internet JRTV  · ATV
Index  · Outline Jordan portal
edit - history - watch

The culture of Jordan is based on Arabic and Islamic elements with significant Western influence. The Jordanian Kingdom had always been the intersection of the three continents of the ancient world and always seemed to have a form of diversity at any given point due to its location. Notable aspects of the culture include the music of Jordan as well as an interest in sports, particularly football and basketball as well as other imported sports mainly from western Europe and the US.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Jordan

The most popular sports in Jordan are football (soccer) and basketball. The increase of interest in football can be attributed to the recent success of the Jordanian Football team, after they qualified for the AFC Asian Cup for the first time ever in 2004. The Jordanian basketball team also experienced success after receiving sponsorship by Zain.

Life Style

Pop culture

More than 60% of the population lives in the metropolis of Amman, concentrating the culture of Jordan in that city. Jordanian pop culture is heavily influenced by the "West". European and American music, movies, fashion and other forms of entertainment are popular among Jordan's people. Amman is consistently stated to be one of the most westernised and modern cities in the region.^[1] Malls, Western-brand stores, hotels and nightclubs are important elements in Amman's urban life, especially in West side. English is widely understood and even spoken in lieu of Jordanian Levantine among Jordanians in the upper class and upper middle class. Westernisation is occurring due to traditionally heavy Western and especially British and American influence on the nation's political life and foreign affairs. In addition, many people from western Europe and America had been moving to Amman and calling it their new home in the past few years, this increased trade links with the West and reshaped the culture. Cuisine are borrowed from other surrounding nations especially Egypt, Syria and Turkey.

References

1. ^ http://www.jordanjubilee.com/visitjor/amman.htm

External links

• Information on Jordanian culture