In 331BC, the armies of Alexander the Great conquered the Near East, introducing Hellenic culture to the area.
Between 400BC and 160AD, the Nabataean civilization flourished in the southern part of the Kingdom. The Nabataean capital of Petra is now Jordan's most popular tourist attraction.
Jordan was part of the Roman Empire between 63 and 324AD.
The Byzantine period, 324 to 632AD, saw the inhabitants of Jordan providing crops and livestock from their farmlands to travelers on the caravan routes, which linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria and the Mediterranean.
The year 630AD marked the beginning of the Arab-Islamic era. The area was ruled for two centuries by the Ummayyad and Abbasid dynasties of Baghdad and Damascus.
In 1099, the Crusaders arrived in Jerusalem, establishing themselves by building two castles in Jordan at Shobak and Kerek, to protect their conquests. In 1187, Salah al Din (known as Saladin) defeated the Crusaders at Kerek, forcing them to completely withdraw from the Near East.
A 300-year rule by the Mamelukes followed, after which Jordan became part of the Ottoman Empire. This period came to an end with the famous Arab Revolt, between 1915 and 1918.
Jordan's modern history dates from 1921, when Emir Abdullah, the second son of Sherif Hussein, established the Emirate of Trans-Jordan as a self-governing territory under British mandate. In May 1946, Emir Abdullah was proclaimed King of the independent Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
In 1953, King Hussein ibn Talal, Emir Abdullah's grandson, formally ascended the throne of Jordan. His reign continued until 7th February 1999, when he succumbed to cancer at the age of 63. The late King Hussein will be remembered for many achievements, but he will perhaps be remembered most of all as the "King of Peace" due to his efforts in establishing and maintaining peace in the Middle East.
Shortly before King Hussein's death, he relieved his own brother and Crown Prince for more than 34 years Prince Hassan from his duties and appointed his eldest son Prince Abdullah as Crown Prince. On 6th February 1999, Crown Prince Abdullah ibn Al-Hussein was sworn in as Regent, and was proclaimed and sworn in as King of Jordan on February 1999. King Abdullah II appointed his younger brother Prince Hamza as his Crown Prince.