The Christian Science Monitor

Patron of the past: The Jordanian duke who's preserving the soul of the Levant

Mamdouh Bisharat, Jordan’s only duke, looks across the city from his home in East Amman, Jordan. Now a concrete jungle, Jordan’s capital was green and lush with springs in Mr. Bisharat’s youth.

“Welcome, welcome!” a man in a tattered blazer and a chestnut farmer’s tan says to three dumbstruck university students who have just wandered in off the street and into the faded apartment. “I hope you are hungry.”

The duke, as always, has set a table for six.

“Eat. Then look around and see what Jordan was really like.”

Patron of the arts, archaeologist, environmentalist, curator, host, farmer, king’s confidant, playboy; Jordan’s first and only duke has played many roles in his life – often on the very same day – but there is one he cherishes: promoter and preserver of Jordan’s heritage.

Honoring heritage

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Christian Science Monitor

The Christian Science Monitor4 min read
To Craft Nordic Noir Novels, Scandinavian Authors Draw On Viking Tales
The sea wind is merciless. It slices and whips the swirling snow into a frenzy. Volcanic lava fields blacken the treacherous landscape. Danger skulks everywhere in this ancient Nordic realm, and the heroes and villains slashing their way through the
The Christian Science Monitor5 min read
With Vote At Alabama Plant, UAW Challenges South’s Antiunion Tilt
The first time Rob Lett saw a worker wearing a red union hat at his sprawling Mercedes plant, he thought, “Wow, that takes courage.” His second thought: “Why doesn’t he get fired?” Unions have long found the American South to be hostile territory. Bu
The Christian Science Monitor2 min read
Field Notes: How One Monitor Photographer Focuses On The Big Picture
Monitor photographer Riley Robinson wasn't sure what to expect when she arrived at police headquarters in Dallas with reporting partner Henry Gass. The police perspective was important to their story on violence prevention efforts featured on the cov

Related Books & Audiobooks