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Ma'an

Coordinates: 30°11.6′N 35°44′E / 30.1933°N 35.733°E / 30.1933; 35.733
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For other uses with this and similar spelling, see [[:Maan]].
Ma'an
مدينة معان
City
Nickname: 
Capital of the Great Arab Revolt
CountryJordan
GovernorateMa'an Governorate
Municipality established1898
Government
 • TypeMunicipality
 • MayorKhalid Alshummary
Area
 • City2.9 sq mi (7.5 km2)
 • Metro
40 sq mi (100 km2)
Population
 (2007)
 • City50,350
Time zoneGMT +2
 • Summer (DST)+3
Area code+(962)3
Websitehttp://www.maan.gov.jo

Ma'an (Arabic: معان, Ma‘ān) is a town in southern Jordan 218 km away from the capital Amman. It is the capital of Ma'an Governorate. Ma'an has a population of around 50,000. The city had a population of 22,989 in the 1992 census and is estimated as being about 50,000 as of 2007 according to the Ma'an Municipality.[1] Civilizations with the name of Ma'an have existed since at least Nabatean times - the modern city is to the north and west of the ancient town. The city is an important transport hub situated on the ancient King's Highway and also on the modern Desert Highway. Ma'an was the site of clashes between the Jordanian army and Islamic groups in 2002 after the death of a U.S. diplomat.

History

A pre 1920 photo of the train station in Ma'an. The Hejaz Railway is still operational until today.

In the pre-Islamic times Ma'an was inhabited by the Ghassanids, who installed Farwa Al-Juthamiyy as Emir on Ma'an. The Ghassanide kingdom was under the influence of the Byzantine Empire, and followed the Christian faith. After the Battle of Mu'tah, Farwa was accused of being muslim, the Ghassanids arrested Farwa and crucified him, near the Afra hot springs, in response, the newly formed muslim state in Medina, sent an army led by Ussama bin Zaid, who conquered Ma'an.

When the Umayyads took control of the muslim empire, Ma'an flourished, and is until today a major hub and a rest area for the pilgrims coming from Syria and Turkey on their way to Mecca. In 1559, the Ottomans built the Saraya fort in Ma'an, to be a rest area for the pilgrims going to Mecca. In 1902 the Ma'an train station connected the city to Damascus in Syria, and Medina in the Hejaz. Following the fall of Damascus to the French in 1920 after the Battle of Maysaloon, Emir Abdullah arrived to Ma'an to gather support and reorganize the Arab forces to reclaim Syria, on 5 January 1920, he issued a statement to call for war against the occupation of Syria, later in that year a small force was organized and named the Arab Army, and was the nucleus of the later to be known the Arab Legion.

Education

Al-Hussein Bin Talal University is the only university in Ma'an, it offers undergraduate degrees in engineering, arts, science, business administration, archaeology, education and nursing. The university is located on the outskirts of the City of Ma'an in the southern part of Jordan , 214 kilometers from the capital Amman . As such, a considerable part of AHU's mission is devoted to providing appropriate specializations and training programs that are desperately needed in the southern region, in general and Ma'an Governorate, in particular. Moreover, the university provides local community institutions with well-trained and qualified human resources, who are, in turn, expected to act effectively in the development of all sectors of their communities. Further and above all, the university attaches utmost priority to academic research and the educational process, which come at the heart of the university's mission.آ AHU, established in 1999 on a campus that was once a branch of Mu'tah University, was relocated to the new campus, 9 kilometers west of the City of Ma'an, in September 2004. The Master Plan of the permanent campus, which has adopted the international construction measures, was awarded the ISO accreditation in Spring, 2007.آ AHU comprises seven distinguished colleges which confer the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees in (38) academic specializations in addition to the postgraduate Diploma in both Education and Higher Administration. In addition to the currently working academic centers, namely, the Computer Center, Academic Faculty Professional Development Center and Nabataean Studies Center, the university is planning to establish a number of research centers concerned with the studies ofآ environment, desertification, mining, badia & rural affairs. In addition to the academic affairs, the university excels in sport, social and cultural activities.

Economy

A new economic zone was established to encourage new industries to operate in the Ma'an Special Economic Zone.

Famous people from Ma'an

References

30°11.6′N 35°44′E / 30.1933°N 35.733°E / 30.1933; 35.733


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