Mahis
Encyclopedia
Mahis is a Jordan
ian town located in the Balqa Governorate north west from the governorate's capital citySalt
, and 10 km west of Amman
. Its population exceeds 14,000. Most of the population of Mahis descends from the Al-Abbadi tribe
. The mountainous town is located at over 800 metres, with panoramic views on the Jordanian valley, West Bank
with Jerusalem’s walls visible on the horizon. Mahis is known for its orchards and its numerous water fountains and springs, notably the Fountain of Mahis.
Mahis is believed to emerged during the Roman
period, when it bordered Jewish Perea and the territory of Philadelphia
- Amman of the Decapolis
, and in the Byzantine
period between the territory of the diocesis of Gadara - es-Salt and Philadelphia. The name comes from the Arabic word meaning to check out and examine due to its status as a border check point.
, a single room surrounded by a small garden with a green flag on top. Near Mahies (2 km West of Mahis) in an area called Wadi Shoaib, is the grave of prophet Shoaib
, or Jethro
in the Biblical tradition.
, barley
, and tobacco
as well as pomegranates, grapes and olives. The importance of agriculture is decreasing, though figs and olives are still a primary source of income. The area also produces natural goods such as Kaolin which is then produced in the neighbouring city Fuhais
.
The southern part of the of Mahis territory called Almeda
also attracts tourism due to its forested mountains and location near the Dead Sea
/West Bank as well as Amman
. Mahis also focuses on education and is well known for its higher education academic disciplines.
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Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian town located in the Balqa Governorate north west from the governorate's capital citySalt
Salt, Jordan
Salt is an ancient agricultural town and administrative centre in west-central Jordan. It is on the old main highway leading from Amman to Jerusalem. Situated in the Balqa highland, about 790–1100 metres above sea level, the town is built in the crook of three hills, close to the Jordan River...
, and 10 km west of Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
. Its population exceeds 14,000. Most of the population of Mahis descends from the Al-Abbadi tribe
. The mountainous town is located at over 800 metres, with panoramic views on the Jordanian valley, West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
with Jerusalem’s walls visible on the horizon. Mahis is known for its orchards and its numerous water fountains and springs, notably the Fountain of Mahis.
Mahis Historical Origin
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
period, when it bordered Jewish Perea and the territory of Philadelphia
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
- Amman of the Decapolis
Decapolis
The Decapolis was a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in Judea and Syria. The ten cities were not an official league or political unit, but they were grouped together because of their language, culture, location, and political status...
, and in the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
period between the territory of the diocesis of Gadara - es-Salt and Philadelphia. The name comes from the Arabic word meaning to check out and examine due to its status as a border check point.
Religious importance
In Mahis there is a shrine of Al-KhidrAl-Khidr
Khidr or Al-Khidr is a revered figure in Islam, whom the Qur'an describes as a righteous servant of God, who possessed great wisdom or mystic knowledge, represented iconically by a fish...
, a single room surrounded by a small garden with a green flag on top. Near Mahies (2 km West of Mahis) in an area called Wadi Shoaib, is the grave of prophet Shoaib
Shoaib
Shuʿayb, or Shoaib, , was an ancient Midianite prophet, who is mentioned in the Qur'an a total of 11 times. He is believed to have lived after Abraham, and Muslims believe that he was sent as a prophet to two communities, namely the Midianites and the People of the Wood. To both the people, Shoaib...
, or Jethro
Jethro
In the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible, Jethro |Shu-ayb]]) is Moses' father-in-law, a Kenite shepherd and priest of Midian. He is also revered as a prophet in his own right in the Druze religion, and considered an ancestor of the Druze.-In Exodus:...
in the Biblical tradition.
Economy of Mahis
Mahis is based on an agrarian economy, including wheatWheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, and tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
as well as pomegranates, grapes and olives. The importance of agriculture is decreasing, though figs and olives are still a primary source of income. The area also produces natural goods such as Kaolin which is then produced in the neighbouring city Fuhais
Fuhais
Fuheis is a town in the Jordanian governorate of Balqa, just 20 kilometers northwest of Amman.A town of 20,000 residents, Fuheis is the only remaining overtly Christian dominated settlement in Jordan...
.
The southern part of the of Mahis territory called Almeda
Almeda
Almeda can refer to:* Almeda University an unaccredited institution* Almeda Riddle* Almeda, Houston, Texas* Almeda, Cornellà de Llobregat, a neighbourhood of Cornellà de Llobregat, in the metropolitan area of Barcelona....
also attracts tourism due to its forested mountains and location near the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
/West Bank as well as Amman
Amman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
. Mahis also focuses on education and is well known for its higher education academic disciplines.
Demographics of Mahis
The population is generally Arabs, mainly descended from the Al-Abbadi Tribe, the second largest in Jordan, also referred to as the clan of Al-Jbara, including AlSheyab, Al Shebly, Al Jawaldeh, and others.External links
- Pictures of rural parts of Mahis
- Prophet Shoaib “Jethro” Mosque and Tomb
- Pictures of Mahis from Travelpost.com
- Satellite pictures of Mahis
- Mahis Location on the Map and Weather
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