After a short flight from Amman, I arrived in Paphos Cyprus yesterday, ready to experience another new culture. I departed in advance of Crown Prince Hussein’s June wedding to his Saudi fiancé, Rajwa Al Saif, at Zahran Palace. In preparation for wedding festivities and the arrival of famous guests, royals, and dignitaries, Amman was decorated […]
May 25 is Jordan Independence Day. It’s the “most important event in the history of the country”. The date marks Jordan’s independence from the British government in 1946, and the country gaining “full autonomy” in 1948. Abdullah I bin Al-Hussein Jordan gained sovereignty during the reign of the Emir, King Abdullah I bin Al-Hussein, who […]
May 15 was the 75th anniversary of the Nakba – aka the “catastrophe” – when Palestinians experienced the “dispossession and loss of their homeland”. Amman has a large Palestinian population, and during the day, I listened to lamented messages echoing throughout the city from minarets and elsewhere. They were especially noticeable after dusk. Although I […]
