Course: World Civilization; The Middle East; Islam"/>
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Search > Learning Exercise Results > King Abdullah of Jordan

Learning Exercise: King Abdullah of Jordan

King Abdullah of Jordan
The official web site for King Abdullah II of Jordan offers valuable material and information about contemporary Jordan and the history of the Hashemite family of which King Abdullah is a member. The Hashemites were once guardians of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina and ruled Iraq until 1958 and Jordan since the 1920s.
Course: World Civilization; The Middle East; Islam


Submitted by:
William Paquette
Date Last Modified:
November 10, 2004


Instructions: Click English. Click on third icon from the right (picture of King Abdullah I). Read the material under The Hashemites (Introduction, Pre-Islam, Dawn of Islam, Islamic Ages, Modern Age, Hashemites and the Modern State, Hashemites on a Steady Course). Read sections Kings of Jordan, Family Tree, and Restorations of Jerusalem. Click on Icon for Royal Courts and Palaces. Read sections: Royal Hashemite Court, Royal Palaces, and Royal Cemetery.

Answer the following questions:

1. Who were the Hashemites?
2. How are the Hashemites descended from the Prophet Mohammed?
3. Who was King Abdullah I?
4. What were King Adbullah I's contributions to Jordanian and Middle Eastern History?
5. Who was Talal I?
6. Why was Talal I's reign so brief?
7. Who was Hussein I?
8. How did King Hussein's rule change Jordan?
9. How did King Hussein affect events in the Middle East since 1952?
10. What is the Hashemite connection to Jerusalem?
11. Identify the holiest places in Jerusalem for Islam.
12. Where is Sharif Hussein buried and why in that location?
13. Describe the restoration efforts at the Dome of the Rock. What is the Dome of the Rock's current condition?
14. What was the history of Jordan, the Middle East, and the Hashemites before Islam?
15. What does the name Islam mean?
16. How did Islam change the Middle East?
17. What historic role did the Hashemite family play in the Middle East under Islam?
18. When did the Hashemites become the guardians of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina?
19. Why did the Hashemites loose guardianship of Mecca and Medina?
20. How did World War I affect the Hashemites?
21. Why and when did the Hashemites loose Iraq?
22. What role are the Hashemites playing in modern Jordanian and Middle Eastern history?
23. Who is buried in the Royal Jordanian Cemetery?
24. What are the uses of Raghadan Palace?
25. What are the uses of Basman Palace?
26. What is Al Qasr Al-Saghur?



  • College General Ed
  • College Lower Division
  • High School





Learning Objectives

To acquaint students with the history of one of Islam's most prominent dynasties, the Hashemites.
To trace the Hashemite descent from the Prophet Mohammed.
To describe the role of the Hashemites in the history of the Middle East since the 7th century, C.E. (Common Era).

Type of Task

  • Individual
  • Student-centered
  • Supplemental activity
  • Unsupervised

Technical Notes