Ar Ramtha

Ar-Ramtha City مدينة الرمثا
City
The City Hall
Ar-Ramtha City
Coordinates: 32°33′32″N 36°0′53″E / 32.55889°N 36.01472°ECoordinates: 32°33′32″N 36°0′53″E / 32.55889°N 36.01472°E
Country	Jordan
Province	Irbid Governorate
Municipality established	1927
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Mayor	Hussein Abu Sheeh Al-Zoubi
Population (2010)[1]
• Total	120,367
Time zone	GMT +2
• Summer (DST)	+3 (UTC)
Area code(s)	+(962)2
Website	http://www.ramthacity.gov.jo

Ar Ramtha, also known as Al-Ramtha (Arabic: الرمثا‎) is a city situated in the far northwest of Jordan. It covers 40 km, and has a population of 120,365 people.

Name

Ar Ramtha is named after a local desert plant, Al Ramath (Arabic: الرمث‎). During its occupation by the Roman Empire, the city was known as Ramatha.

History

A Byzantine archeological site in Ar Ramtha

The Roman Empire utilized Ar Ramtha as a remote hub to cross-link their colonies. The ruins of buildings and ancient Roman antiquities have been discovered at different parts of Ar Ramtha. During the Islamic expansion, Ar Ramtha, which was in the Houran territory, was a port for Muslim scholars crossing between Syria and Al-Hijaz. Historically and sociologically, the city is the twin to Daraa city in Syria, which is located on just the other side of the border.

In 1596 it appeared in the Ottoman tax registers under the name of Ramta, being part of the nahiya of Butayna in the Qada of Hauran. It had an entirely Muslim population consisting of 16 households and 3 bachelors. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 40% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, goats and bee-hives; a total of 2,740 akçe. Half of this was Waqf income.^[2]

Economy

Ar Ramtha's economy relies on commerce and import and export trading. The Al Hassan industrial estate houses several outsourcing companies supported by foreign shareholders with most of the products sold to American and European markets.

Culture

The city is famous for the inherited ritual-poetries recited in wedding ceremonies and public affairs. One of their dances is called the Dabke for which people from Ar Ramtha are famous. Mijwez music originated in Ar Ramtha. Famous artists from Ar Ramtha are Nayef El-Zubi, Hussein Al-Salman, Lil ZeeJo (Rapper), Anwar alshare, and Mitaab Al-Saggar.

Sport

This city has two sports clubs, Al-Ramtha SC, a football club which is also a member of the premium Jordan League, and Ittihad Al-Ramtha, another football club which is a member in the first division in Jordanian Football League.

Education

The Jordan University of Science and Technology

The city is home to the Jordan University of Science and Technology, which includes a large University hospital that provides medical treatment in the region, and offers chances to medical students in the university to intern and learn during their study years.

References

1. Entry at "the world gazeteer"
2. Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 214

Bibliography

• Hütteroth, Wolf-Dieter; Abdulfattah, Kamal (1977). Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft. ISBN 3-920405-41-2.

External links

• google-map
• Deraa-map; 22L