DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15421685.
Vol. 55 (2025), pp. 180–189 •
![]() ![]() RESEARCH ARTICLE
Mohammad Waheeb
Professor in Archaeology, Department of Sustainable Tourism, Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism and Heritage,
The Hashemite University
(mwaheeb@hu.edu.jo)
Abstract
The international incense route, or the caravan trade road in the past, crossed the east and west regions, starting from the coast of Yemen on the Arabian Sea to the north of the Mediterranean.
Passing through Yemen and the Arabian Peninsula, it is divided into two routes.
One of which leads to Najd, then Iraq and Persia. The other goes to the north of the Arabian Peninsula reaching Jordan, where it is considered one of the main major stations on the route.
The caravan continues to Petra through several stations, and sites among them, water installations, trade markets (Suq) and caravan stations.
The caravans passed through Jordan carrying incense, spices, cosmetics, precious stones, and many other products from its eastern sources to the countries of Europe.
This research will focus on previous studies of incense routes and documenting the existing remains, as well as analyze their importance.
Tourism is expected to have economic and social impacts on the areas through which the routes cross.
It should be mentioned that the stations of this route, which were established in Palestine, were included on the World Heritage List/UNESCO in 2000.
Accordingly, the current fieldwork and investigations in Jordan will push the file to be listed or nominated on the national list in Jordan for one year.
It will be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Keywords
Incense route, archaeology, documentation, architecture, tourism, Jordan, southern Levant.
Cite as
Waheeb, M. 2025.
Documentation of the International Incense Route through Jordan, Southern Levant. Arqueología Iberoamericana 55: 180–189. Other Persistent Identifiers
PURL: purl.org/aia/5516. ARK: ark:/49934/372.
Received: March 26, 2025. Accepted: April 29, 2025. Published: May 17, 2025.
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