On our way to the town of Al Abbasiya to attend the wedding of Mukhtar Nassar Al Manajeh, where the desert stretches as far as the eye can see and mountains rise, led by the towering Tawil Shahhaq, in a majestic scene where the colors of sand and rock blend, we made a different stop in the city of Ma'an. It was a stop that does not stay within the boundaries of the place, but takes us back to one of the most important chapters in the founding of the modern Jordanian state: the Palace of the Founding King Abdullah I bin Al Hussein.
اضافة اعلان
Our visit was not just a passing stop on the journey, but a rest in the presence of memory, and an opportunity to recall a pivotal stage in the nation's history, when Ma'an was one of the important stations on Prince Abdullah bin Al Hussein's route to Transjordan in 1920, before he went on to Amman.
A warm welcome: when a place's value is completed by its people
From the moment we arrived, we were received with a warmth and hospitality that reflect authentic Arab generosity, and a clear commitment to presenting the site to visitors with the attention and respect it deserves.
The thorough, professional explanation we received greatly enriched the visit. It went beyond describing the building and its details, placing it in its proper context.
This is where the importance of the staff working at heritage sites becomes clear. No matter how valuable a place is, it needs people who can tell its story accurately, bring its events closer to visitors in clear language, and give them the chance to understand history rather than simply looking at walls and what they contain.
Ma'an: one of the gateways of founding
Ma'an holds an important place in the national memory, through the events, communications and transformations it witnessed, which helped shape the features of the modern state.
In the same place, the newspaper Al Haq Ya'lu was published, a sign of the cultural refinement and the presence of the written word and media during that stage of state-building. The press was not merely a means of transmitting news, but a platform for expression and aspirations, keeping pace with the region's transformations. In this way, the palace tells the story of a period in which leadership, political action and the written word combined to shape the country.
For this reason, a visit to the palace opens a door to reflection and understanding. It gives new generations the chance to learn about its first stations through the place itself, with its meanings, evidence, documents, rare artifacts and modern display methods that help clarify the story.
The memorial: the memory of the revolution's men
When we stood before the memorial bearing the names of the heroes of the Great Arab Revolt, we felt the depth of the faith that united those knights around its cause, and the solidarity they embodied, which transcended national borders. Heroes answered the call, believing in the revolution's aspirations and the hopes it carried for freedom and renaissance. Before those names, linked to cities and countries, we understood that behind every name lies a story of giving and sacrifice that their descendants, and we among them, take pride in.
Heritage and tourism: a story beyond the place's borders
Including the Palace of the Founding King on the routes of trips to Wadi Rum and Aqaba would enrich the tourist visit and give it a national cultural dimension. This is where the responsibility of the Ministries of Tourism and Culture comes in.
Gratitude is part of the journey
We left the palace for our destination, Farah Nassar, who was the leader of the "Fathers and Grandfathers" journey that set out from the same place a year earlier toward Mecca. But Ma'an stayed with us, not as a stop on the road, but as a page of the nation's history that we are writing about today.
