Jordan trivia: 46 questions and answers

Amman. Amman is the capital and by far the largest city, with about 5 million people in the wider city. It became the capital of Transjordan in 1921.

Jordanian dinar. The Jordanian dinar, often written JD, has been Jordan's currency since 1950. It is divided into 100 qirsh or 1,000 fils.

A river. Jordan takes its name from a river, the Jordan River, which forms part of its western border and flows into the Dead Sea.

True. True. Jordan's only coast is about 26 km long, on the Gulf of Aqaba, an arm of the Red Sea, and Aqaba is its only seaport.

Moab. Mesha was king of Moab, a kingdom in the highlands east of the Dead Sea. His stone, found at Dhiban in 1868, is now in the Louvre.

The Nabataeans. The Nabataeans, Arab traders who grew rich on the incense routes, built Petra. Rome took over their kingdom in 106, and the Crusaders and Ottomans came many centuries later.

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, dressed as a local and speaking Arabic, entered Petra in 1812. Howard Carter found Tutankhamun's tomb, and Schliemann dug at Troy.

True. True. In June 1916 Sharif Hussein of Mecca and his sons rose against Ottoman rule, with British support, and in 1917 Arab forces took Aqaba.

1946. Jordan became an independent kingdom on 25 May 1946, now Independence Day. The Emirate of Transjordan had been set up under British mandate in 1921.

True. True. The Ottoman railway reached Medina on 1 September 1908, and towns along the line in Jordan, including Amman and Zarqa, grew around its stations.

The Crusaders. The Crusaders began Kerak Castle in the 1140s to control the routes between Damascus, Egypt and Mecca. Saladin's forces took it in 1188.

Mansaf. Mansaf is lamb cooked in jameed, a dried yogurt, served over bread and rice with nuts. Maqluba is an upside-down rice dish, musakhan is chicken with sumac on bread, and falafel are fried chickpea balls.

Hard dried yogurt. Jameed is hard dried yogurt made from sheep's or goat's milk, shaped into balls. Karak is famous for it. Sesame paste is tahini.

Upside down. Maqluba means 'upside down': the pot of rice, meat and fried vegetables is turned over onto a platter when it is served.

In a pit oven under the sand. Zarb is cooked in a pit oven under the sand: trays of meat and vegetables are lowered into the pit, covered with hot coals and sand, and left to cook for hours.

Cardamom. Arabic coffee is spiced with cardamom and served bitter and unsweetened in small cups, poured from a pot called a dallah.

True. True. If you hand the cup back without shaking it, the host will keep pouring more.

False. False. In Jordan falafel is usually made from chickpeas. The Egyptian version, ta'ameya, is made from fava beans.

Ramadan. Qatayef are a Ramadan sweet, eaten after iftar, the meal that breaks the fast at sunset, and sold in bakeries mainly during that month.

The right hand. Mansaf is traditionally eaten with the right hand only, standing around the tray with the left hand behind the back.

Amman. Amman was renamed Philadelphia by the Greek king Ptolemy II. Jerash was called Gerasa.

True. True. UNESCO listed As-Salt in 2021 as 'the place of tolerance and urban hospitality', for its late Ottoman stone houses and the way its communities lived together.

The Siq. The Siq is a dark, narrow gorge, only 3 to 4 m wide in places, that opens suddenly onto the Treasury.

True. True. Petra was chosen in the New 7 Wonders vote in 2007, and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

About 800. A path of about 800 steps climbs to the Monastery, one of Petra's largest carved monuments, about 47 m high.

Mars. Wadi Rum played Mars in The Martian (2015) and other films. It is often called the Valley of the Moon.

A floor mosaic. It is a floor mosaic: part of a 6th-century mosaic floor in the Church of Saint George in Madaba, with the oldest surviving original map of Jerusalem.

False. False. Ajloun Castle was built in 1184 by a general of Saladin, to guard the north against the Crusaders. The Crusaders built Kerak Castle.

False. False. As of 2026 Jerash is only on Jordan's tentative list. Jordan's eight inscribed sites include Petra, Wadi Rum, As-Salt and Umm el-Jimal.

About 440 m. About 440 m below sea level in 2025, the lowest land on Earth, and the level is still falling by more than 1 m a year.

More than 14,000 years. More than 14,000 years: charred crumbs of flatbread made by hunter-gatherers were found at Shubayqa 1 in the Black Desert, thousands of years before farming began.

Seven. Seven points, for the seven verses of Al-Fatiha, the opening chapter of the Quran.

The Aqaba Marine Reserve. The Aqaba Marine Reserve, with its coral reefs, was added in 2026, bringing Jordan to eight sites. Petra was listed in 1985, Wadi Rum in 2011 and As-Salt in 2021.

True. True. A dinar is 1,000 fils or 100 qirsh, so a price may be written as 1.250 JD.

911. Jordan uses 911 as its single emergency number for police, ambulance and fire.

True. True. In 2022 UNESCO inscribed 'Al-Mansaf in Jordan, a festive banquet and its social and cultural meanings'.

Thank you. 'Shukran' means thank you. Hello is 'marhaba', goodbye is 'ma'a salama' and please is 'law samaHt'.

Straight ahead. 'Dugri' means straight ahead. Left is 'shmal' and right is 'yamin'.

Wa alaykum as-salam. The reply is 'Wa alaykum as-salam', 'and upon you be peace'. 'Ma'a salama' is goodbye and 'Qaddesh?' asks the price.

How much is it?. 'Qaddesh?' means 'How much is it?' or simply 'how much?'. It is the question you will use most in Jordan's markets.

True. True. 'Al-hamdu lillah' means 'praise be to God' and is used to say 'I'm fine, thank you'.

The tourist visa fee. The Jordan Pass also covers the tourist visa fee for visitors who buy it before arrival and stay the minimum number of nights, as well as entry to Petra and more than 40 other sites.

False. False. Float on your back and keep your face out of the water: the very salty water stings badly in the eyes and must not be swallowed. Rinse off in fresh water afterwards.

True. True. Most Muslims fast from dawn to sunset during Ramadan, and visitors are asked to be respectful in public. Many restaurants outside tourist areas open only at sunset.

Ask before photographing people, and never photograph police or military sites. Ask before photographing people, and never photograph police or military sites. Landscapes and monuments are fine.

True. True. Heavy winter rain can send sudden floods through dry valleys, so follow local warnings and your guide's advice before hiking in canyons.