Weaving
Weaving is a Bedouin tradition that is passed down from mother to daughter. It is used to make carpets, cushions or tent covers, essential elements of the nomadic lifestyle. Sheep and goat wool are mixed together for a waterproof result. Dromedary wool is also used, but it is heavier and is used exclusively for making carpets. Until recently, Bedouin women used natural pigments to dye the wool. Indigo (blue), pomegranate (yellow), onion peel (pink), cochineal (pink), kermes (red) were among their main ingredients. But the forced sedentarization of the Bedouins has practically made this ancestral craft disappear. The women of Wadi Rum try to perpetuate the tradition by modernizing it. In addition to rugs or blankets, they offer bags, pouches and other small objects that can be easily slipped into a suitcase.
Embroidery
Embroidery is one of the traditional arts of Jordan. In the past, women wore dresses embroidered by themselves. The colors and patterns used were specific to their village. Thus, one could identify a woman's tribal affiliation at a glance. The know-how was passed on from mother to daughter, each girl having to make her own trousseau for her wedding. The girls who were the most agile with the needle could claim a better match. Again, the shift to a less traditional world dealt a blow to this form of craft. Women have abandoned their traditional heavy and warm clothes in favor of ready-to-wear clothes from Pakistan or China. However, some textile designers or fashion creators have built up a network of embroiderers to keep the know-how alive and produce unique creations. The brand Abla Azar, which has a small store in Amman, is one of these brands that offer real works of art that wealthy Jordanian women compete for special occasions. You will also find replicas of traditional dresses in the bazaars, which are still worn at weddings. However, the embroidery is done mechanically.
Jewelry
Jordanian women wear their wealth on their person, in the form of elaborate jewelry. If silver has long been preferred, today gold seems to supplant it, for its ever increasing value. Jewelry is part of the bride's dowry, and is given by the husband on the occasion of the wedding. This provides them with insurance in case of divorce or widowhood. Heavy silver pieces set with semi-precious stones are part of traditional Bedouin jewelry. Beautiful examples can be found in antique shops while more modern designers such as Lama Hounani or the Nabatean Ladies Cooperative offer modernized pieces that draw on folklore and tradition.
Pottery
Pottery has been produced for over 10,000 years in Jordan, with artifacts found at the site of Ain Ghazal near Amman. It also developed greatly under the Nabataeans and Petra was a major production site. If today many of the potteries you will find in souvenir shops come from Egypt or the Maghreb, a small workshop located in At-Taybeh, a village near Wadi Musa, tries to revive the traditional Nabataean art. These potteries made of raw clay, very simple and decorated with traditional motifs painted with natural pigments, are very sought after.
Wood carving
The tradition of olive wood carving is said to have been taught to Bethlehem's craftsmen by Christian monks during the making of the cross of the Church of the Nativity in the fourth century. Palestinians who fled the West Bank during the wars with Israel in 1948 and 1967 brought this skill with them to Jordan. The craftsmen make boxes, frames, rosaries, candle holders, figurines or religious objects, often inlaid with mother-of-pearl, another technique they have mastered to perfection.
Colored sand
This slightly kitschy souvenir is one of Petra's must-haves. Layers of different colored sand are stacked in small clear glass bottles marked with your name. This Neapolitan slice illustrates the variety of tones in Petra, combining pink, yellow, beige, red and even blue. The souvenir is especially appealing to children and has the advantage of being inexpensive for parents.
Ostrich egg
Ostriches are raised in the Shaumari Nature Reserve near Azraq. The unfertilized eggs are painted by the women of the Azraq Wetland Reserve who sell them in the local souvenir stores. They can also be found in stores in Old Amman, near the King Abdullah Mosque. The price varies according to the sophistication of the design.
Soap
Northern Jordan produces some of the best olive oils in the world. The benefits of these oils are found in exceptional handmade soaps made exclusively from natural and 100% organic products from the Ajloun area. The Soap House soaps are among the most renowned in Jordan. The women produce a range of 17 different soaps, produced in small quantities to ensure freshness. They are sold at the entrance of the Ajlun Nature Reserve.
Olive oil
The best olive groves in the country are found in the highlands around Irbid. The oils of the region are particularly renowned, as they are the fruit of century-old trees with preserved soils. You can find first cold-pressed olive oil anywhere in the country, but be sure to stop at a mill if you're heading to Umm-Qais or Ajloun, each village has one.
Spices
If you loved the manaqish, this filled and perfumed bread cake, you will not fail to get a few dozen grams of zaatar, the Jordanian thyme, which can also be sprinkled on hummus. You can also find sumac, the dried red berries that are used in many recipes, in all good grocery stores.
