Al Hashimiyya is a village in the Ajloun Governorate of north-western Jordan. The village is located 7 km northwest of Ajloun, 22 km south of Irbid and 108 km north of Amman. It is near Ajloun Castle and Tell Mar Elias. The largest tribes are Bani 'Ata, Qwaqnah, Gharaibeh, Rababah, Za'areer, Abu Sini and Haddad. Hashimiyya is one of the three villages that are part of the Ash Shefa Municipality along with Halawah and Al Wahadinah.
Geography and climate
Hashimiyya is located in the mountainous area that surrounds Ajloun. The town is situated on a ridge that leads eastward down to the floor of the Jordan Valley. The northern and eastern sides of Hashimiyya are bordered by small pockets of forest. The climate is Mediterranean-like and similar to the nearby Ajloun Forest Reserve. Hashimiyya lies within the range of the Fertile Crescent making alluvial cultivation possible. Snow and rain are common in the winter months between December and February.
History
The region around Hashimiyya has been settled since the Bronze Age, as evidenced by archeological excavations in nearby Pella and Abila. The Roman era saw increased settlement and population growth in the region as the Decapolis cities prospered. Though there is little archeological evidence of an ancient town on the site of modern Hashimiyya, the town contains an ancient olive grove known locally as Al Maisor. Furthermore, the village's ancient name, Farah, may be derived from Viera, a Roman town located in the area. Evidence from pottery found in the area indicates that there was a settlement on the site of modern Hashimiyya during Mamluk/Ayyubid period. During the Byzantine era the area around Hashimiyya was highly Christianized. Today, ruins from Byzantine churches are strewn throughout the Ajloun Governorate, most notably at Tell Mar Elias. Though Hashimiyya itself does not contain any churches the Haddad family of Christians still lives in the town. Jordan's 1967 war had a dramatic impact on the population of Hashimiyya. Before the war the town's population was so small that the oldest mosque, The Great Hashimiyya Mosque, wasn't built until 1949 by Hajj Ahmed Abusini. Most of the village's population lived in the western end, with Al-Maisor marking the village's eastern boundary. However, in the aftermath of the war many families from the Jordan Valley chose to move further inside Jordan's border. By 2000 6 more mosques were constructed to accommodate the population swell. Al-Maisor was now within the village's limits and houses reached more than a kilometer further east. Because of this population influx the more established western part of the village became a downtown with shops, bakeries, butchers and blacksmiths. The municipal building grew to contain a health center and later a dentist's office opened nearby. When paved roads came in the 1970s buses between Hashimiyya and Ajloun soon followed, making travel easy between Hashimiyya and Amman. The development of the town was witnessed by a member of the royal family who visited the town in the 1980s. He was so impressed by the town that he reportedly said that it could no longer be called Farah and changed the name to Hashimiyya.
Economy
Al Hashimiyya's economy relies on agriculture including: wheat, pomegranates, figs, fava beans, olives and vegetables. There are also a number of goat herders. Most people work in agriculture but also work in the Army or education to supplement their income. Many people have more than one job. People in Hashimiyya work in different places but many work in Amman, the capital city. In Hashimiyya there are four kinds of shops. The first type is supermarkets. Supermarkets have sweets, chips, oil etc. The second kind is restaurants. Restaurants have sandwiches, hummus and some snacks. The third type is electrical markets. They have computers, TV and electrical machines. The last kind is internet cafés where you can surf the net.
Education
Hashimiyya witnessed many developments in teaching that happened in synchronization with the establishing of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The development appeared in village's first basic and secondary schools. There are five schools in Hashimiyya, a primary/basic and secondary school for boys, a basic and secondary school for girls and a small coed basic school. Hashimiyya School for Boys was established in 1925 and many of the students who studied there are now teachers, doctors and politicians. The first girls school was created in 1960. All students study general science, math, Arabic, English, religion, geography, physical education and vocational training from 1st to 12th. Starting in 9th grade students study Earth science, physics and chemistry. After 10th grade they study general culture instead of history. The final two years of school are called Tawjihi.
