The culture of Jordan is based on Arabic and Islamic elements. Jordan stands at the intersection of the three continents of the ancient world, lending it geographic and population diversity. Notable aspects of the culture include the traditional music and clothing of Jordan and interest in sports. These include football and basketball as well as other sports such as equestrianism, fencing, karate, swimming, and table tennis
Popular culture
More than 90% of the population lives in the metropolis of Amman, concentrating the culture of Jordan in that city. Clubbing and partying culture are present in Amman, especially in the Western half of the city. Amman is consistently declared as one of the most liberal cities in the region. Malls, global-brand stores, and hotels are important elements in Amman's urban life, especially on the Western side.
English is understood and even spoken in lieu of Jordanian Arabic among Jordanians in the upper class. There's a notable foreign influence on the nation's political life and foreign affairs. In addition, many people from nearby countries have been immigrating to Amman and calling it their new home in the past few years. This increased trade links with the world and has reshaped the culture. The Cuisine is shared with surrounding nations such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey.
Media
Nonprint media has played an important role in Jordanian culture. Television production in particular has thrived due to high-quality acting and creative, interesting storylines that challenge and critique contemporary Arab society. Print media also continues to play a large role in Jordanian culture; the most widely read the Arabic language newspapers include ad-Dustour ("The Constitution") and Al Ra'i ("The Opinion"). Additionally, the country has one daily English-language newspaper, The Jordan Times, and one weekly English-language newspaper, The Star.
Music
Rural Zajal songs, with improvised poetry played with a Mijwiz, Tablah, Arghul, Oud, Rabab reed pipe and ADdaf ensemble accompanying is popular. Recently Jordan has seen the rise of several prominent DJs and popstars.
Cinema
Jordan's film industry has cinemas throughout Jordan. Jordanian films include Captain Abu Raed (2007) and Theeb (2014), an international co-production between Jordan, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Multiple Hollywood films have been filmed on location in Jordan, including Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). The 2010 Oscar winner for Best Picture, The Hurt Locker, was also filmed in Jordan. More recently, The Martian (2015), Dune: Part One (2021), Aladdin (2019) and parts of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) were filmed in Jordan.
Television and episodes
The term "musalsalat" may be loosely translated as Arabic soap operas. Jordan produces a number of "Bedouin soap operas" that are filmed outdoors with authentic props. The actors use local Bedouin-accented Arabic to make the story feel more authentic, but have incorporated aspects of the accent of foreign Bedouins in order to make the dialect more broadly understood. These series have become popular in the Levant, Arab states of the Persian Gulf and some parts of Iraq.
Notable series center around traditional village life during the time period just before World War II. Often, these dramas are permeated by themes of tension between the ancient and modern ways of life with specific emphasis on the patriarchal systems and the role of women within them.
Another genre is that of the historical drama. Topics of these shows range from pre-Islamic poets to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Many of these are joint productions by Levantine and Gulf television producers.
While the aforementioned series target a broader, Arabic-speaking audience, certain programs target Jordanians specifically. These shows tend to deal with social and political issues particular to current-day Amman.
Dance
One of the most popular traditional dances in Jordan is dabke. This may be performed as gender-segregated or co-ed groups. The dancers line up shoulder-to-shoulder, holding hands or placing arms over the neighboring two dancers’ shoulders, then move as a group in a circle using steps that are punctuated by kicks and stomps. The accompanying music includes a flute called a ney, a drum called a tabl, and a reed instrument called a mizmar. This group dance is popular among Bedouins and non-Bedouins alike, and is often performed at weddings.