The earliest buildings on the website date again to the primary century AD, when it shaped a part of the Nabataean Kingdom.
Jordan’s Umm al-Jimal village has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Record, a transfer hailed by the nation’s tourism and antiquities minister as a “nice achievement”.
The United Nations Instructional, Scientific and Cultural Group (UNESCO), which is internet hosting a gathering of its World Heritage Committee in New Delhi in India, mentioned on X on Friday that the earliest buildings uncovered at Umm al-Jimal date again to the primary century AD, “when the realm shaped a part of the Nabataean Kingdom”.
It added that inscription in “Greek, Nabataean, Safaitic, Latin and Arabic uncovered on the positioning … sheds gentle on the modifications in its inhabitants’ spiritual beliefs”.
The village is close to the Jordanian-Syrian border, 86km (53 miles) north of Jordan’s capital Amman, and is named “the black oasis” because of the prevalence of black volcanic rock within the space.
Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Makram al-Qaisi mentioned in a press convention on Sunday that Umm al-Jimal’s inclusion on the World Heritage Record is a “nice achievement we must be pleased with”.
He mentioned the ministry hoped to ask native and worldwide traders to the positioning and “current Umm al-Jimal as a sexy vacationer vacation spot”.
The identify Umm al-Jimal comes from using camels as a part of commerce caravans within the village, which was first settled by the Nabataean peoples within the first century AD and later occupied by the Romans, turning into an vital agricultural and industrial centre.
Umm al-Jimal is the seventh historic website in Jordan to be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Record, together with Petra, Quseir Amra, Umm al-Rasas, Wadi Rum, al-Maghtas and Salt.
Tourism contributes between 12 and 14 % of the dominion’s gross home product (GDP), and its 10 million inhabitants rely closely on the sector.
Qaisi mentioned Jordan welcomed greater than six million vacationers in 2023, bringing in $7bn. Most vacationers come from Europe, the USA and Canada, adopted by the Asia Pacific international locations.
However tourism within the nation has been affected by Israel’s devastating struggle on neighbouring Gaza.
Qaisi mentioned the dominion has seen a 4.9 % drop in tourism income to this point in 2024, and a 7.9 % drop in guests.