Islamic tourism as an ideological construction: A Jordan study case

Abstract

In early 2001, the Jordanian Ministry of Awqâf 1 and Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities endorsed a new branch of tourism: Islamic tourism. This new policy has economic, cultural and religious dimensions, and targets Muslim as well as Westerner tourists. It focuses on promoting visitation of the newly rebuilt mausoleums of the pre-Islamic prophets and the Companions of Prophet Muhammad all over the territory and specifically along the Jordan Valley. This article argues that Islamic tourism is noteworthy for the way it reveals the politics heritage in Jordan. Patrimony, heritage and religious archaeology are being used politically in the context of the development of Islamic tourism. They are used by the Jordanian government and by the Hashemite regime to give a specific representation of the Jordanian Islamic history. In this case, history is being recast to present Jordan and its Monarchy as central actors in Islamic history and as preferential representatives in terms of diplomacy and international relations especially with the Western countries.

Keywords:

• Jordan
• Islamic tourism
• politics
• heritage
• patrimony

Notes

Waqf (plur. Awqâf): Islamic endowment (charities, public services…) which depends today of the Ministry of Awqâf.

The battle of Mu'ta occurred in 629 during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad. The Byzantine armies defeated the Muslim armies. The site where are buried the three commanders of this battle, South of al-Karak, is fundamental in the new topology-creation process that started since the 1980s in Jordan.

The Royal Committee was created in 1994 under the Patronage of Prince Ghazî b. Muhammad and Prince Raed b. Husayn. It depends on several Ministries as the MOTA, of Awqâf and of the Amman Municipality. The executive committee, mainly composed by engineers, is in charge of rebuilding the mausoleums.

Ghazî b. Muhammad (1966–?) is responsible for the Hashemite Palace of the religious affairs. He was the advisor of Late King Husayn for tribal affairs. Since 2003 he is one of the advisors of King Abdullah II.

The JTB is in charge of marketing and communications for the MOTA in Jordan. It has offices in a large number of Western or Eastern countries.

Michele Piccirillo (1944–2009) was a Franciscan father and an archaeologist, specialist of the early Byzantine period in Jordan, Palestine and Syria.