Amman named Islamic culture capital for 2017

AMMAN — The selection of Amman as the capital of Islamic culture for 2017 comes in appreciation of its deep-rooted history and civilisation over the centuries since the rise of Islam, Culture Minister Nabih Shuqum said on Friday.

Speaking at a ceremony to conclude the activities of Kuwait as the capital of Islamic culture for 2016, Shuqum said the capital has always been a “gateway for peace and a land of love and serenity”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The minister added that Jordan hosts various Islamic shrines, where companions of Prophet Mohammad were buried.

Since the inception of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Amman has been playing “a major Islamic role”, Shuqum noted, citing the Hashemite restoration of Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, which started in the 1920s and continue to this day.

The restoration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the tomb of Jesus there is also currently under way, funded by a personal donation from His Majesty King Abdullah, according to the minister.

Amman, while receiving the flag from Kuwait, will benefit from and build on the successful experiences of previous capitals.