Aydoun

City in Irbid Governorate, Jordan
Aydoun
ايدون
City
32°25′55″N 35°51′30″E / 32.43194°N 35.85833°E / 32.43194; 35.85833
Grid position231/212
Country Jordan
GovernorateIrbid Governorate
Time zoneUTC + 2

Aydoun (Arabic: ايدون, alternatively Adun or Idoun or Edoun) is the name of a city in Irbid Governorate in Jordan. Some writers associate the town with the ancient city of Dium, one of the cities of the Decapolis,[1] but this is disputed. It had a population of 63,244 as of 2018.[2]

History

In 1596, during the Ottoman Empire, Aydoun was noted in the census as being located in the nahiya of Bani al-Asar in the Liwa of Hawran. It had a population of 32 households and 21 bachelors; all Muslim. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on various agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops/vineyards/fruit trees, goats and beehives; a total of 10,215 akçe.[3]

In 1838, Aydoun's inhabitants were predominantly Sunni Muslims, and the village was noted as located in the 'Beni Öbeid' area.[4]

The Jordanian census of 1961 found 1,700 inhabitants in Aidun.[5]

Shrines

In Aydoun, there's a functioning maqam known as Masjid Aidun al-gharbi al-qadim. Believed to have been built during the Ayyubid or Mamluk era, it remains in use for Muslim prayer. Steuernagel visited in 1927 and documented an Arabic inscription that has since been lost.[6]

Another maqam in Aydoun, once dedicated to Khidr, now lies in ruins, though a decorated lintel still remains at the site.[7]

Notable people from Aydoun (Idoun)

References

  1. ^ "The Decapolis". Atlastours.net. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
  2. ^ "Estimated Population of the Kingdom by Municipality and Sex, at End-year 2018" (PDF). Dosweb.dosa.gov.jo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  3. ^ Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 205
  4. ^ Smith, in Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 164
  5. ^ Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. 18
  6. ^ Weber-Karyotakis, Thomas M.; Khammash, Ammar (2020). Islamic Heritage Sites in Jordan: A Student's Gazetteer. GJU. pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-9957-67-588-2.
  7. ^ Weber-Karyotakis, Thomas M.; Khammash, Ammar (2020). Islamic Heritage Sites in Jordan: A Student's Gazetteer. GJU. pp. 20–21. ISBN 978-9957-67-588-2.

Bibliography

  • Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics (1964). First Census of Population and Housing. Volume I: Final Tables; General Characteristics of the Population (PDF).
  • Hütteroth, Wolf-Dieter; Abdulfattah, Kamal (1977). Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century. Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft. ISBN 3-920405-41-2.
  • Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the year 1838. Vol. 3. Boston: Crocker & Brewster.