Zarqa City مدينة الزرقاء az-Zarqāʔ
—  City  —
A view from Zarqa city center
Zarqa City Location in Jordan
Coordinates: 32°05′N 36°06′E / 32.083°N 36.1°E / 32.083; 36.1
Country	Jordan
Governorate	Zarqa Governorate
Settled	1902
Municipality	1929
Government
• Type	Municipality
• Mayor	Muhammed Al-Gweri
Area
• Total	20 sq mi (60 km2)
Elevation	2,031 ft (619 m)
Population (2004)
• Total	395,227
Time zone	UTC+2 (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (UTC+3)
Area code(s)	+(962)5
Website	http://www.zm.gov.jo

Az-Zarqāʔ (Arabic: الزرقاء‎; BGN: Az Zarqāʼ; local pronunciation ez-Zergā, ez-Zer'a, or ez-Zarka) is a city in Jordan located to the northeast of Amman. Zarqa is the capital of Zarqa Governorate (Arabic محافظة الزرقاء Muħāfazat az-Zarqā). Its name means "the blue one".

Geography[link]

Zarqa is Jordan's industrial centre, located in the zarqa River basin, is home to over 50% of Jordanian factories. The growth of industry in the city is the result of low real estate costs and proximity to the capital, Amman, situated only 25 km south west of Zarqa. Although inhabited since the first century A.D., the city of Zarqa was established by immigrants from the Caspian Sea region at the beginning of the twentieth century, initially on the banks of the Zarqa River, the population grew steadily with the construction of the Hejaz railway by the ottomans. The bases of the Jordanian army, formerly called the Arab Legion, were located in Zarqa.

History[link]

The zarqa train station of the Ottoman-built Hejaz Railway

The Zarqa Trade Center

The first settlement in the city was in 1902 by Chechen immigrants who were displaced from the wars between the Ottoman and Russian Empires. They settled along the Zarqa River. At that time a station on the Hejaz railway was built in the new settlement, this railway station turned Zarqa into an important hub. On April 10, 1905 the Ottoman governor issued a decree that allowed the Chechen immigrants to own lands which they settled on. The population then quickly grew in size. On November 18, 1928 the new Jordanian government issued a decree to establish the first municipal council for Zarqa.

After the Transjordan Frontier Force was formed in 1926, military bases were constructed in the city by the British army, and the city later became known as the "military city".^[1] The headquarters of Jordan's Arab Legion was in Zarqa.

Demographics[link]

With an estimated metropolitan population of about 700,000 in 2010, Zarqa has the third largest metropolitan population in Jordan after Amman and Irbid, whilst the city of Zarqa has the second largest population after Amman with a population of about 500,000.

Districts of Greater Zarqa Municipality[link]

A view from Zarqa city center

The Engineering Building in Zarqa Private University

The city of Zarqa is divided into five districts that all together have an area of about 60 km², and another two districts within the radius of influence of the city.

Economy and Infrastructure[link]

The Amman-Zarqa highway

In Zarqa city centre at night

A residential neighborhood in Zarqa

Transportation[link]

Zarqa is connected by the Hejaz railway to Amman to the south and to Syria to the north. A new railway is currently under construction to connect Amman with Zarqa. Zarqa lies on the international highway that connects Saudi Arabia with Syria, and on the international Amman-Baghdad highway.

Industry[link]

Several facilities that are vital to Jordan's economy are based in Zarqa, such as Jordan's only oil refinery plant. According to the Zarqa Chamber of Commerce, 10% of Jordan's total exports in 2011 came from Zarqa Governorate amounting to more than 512 million US$. ^[2] Leather and Garment products constituted about 52% of Zarqa'a exports, followed by chemical, agricultural and pharmaceutical products.

Education[link]

There are three universities in Zarqa, the largest of which is Hashemite University, other community colleges and research centers are based in Zarqa such as the Al-Zarqa Educational & Investment: Hashemite University,^[3] Al-Balqa` Applied University-Zarqa College,^[4] and Zarqa Private University.

See also[link]

Jordan portal

• Railway stations in Jordan
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

References[link]

External links[link]

• Zarqa Discussion Forum (Arabic)

Coordinates: 32°05′N 36°06′E / 32.083°N 36.1°E / 32.083; 36.1

v t e Governorates of Jordan North Region Irbid Jerash Ajloun Mafraq Central Region Amman Balqa Zarqa Madaba South Region Aqaba Karak Ma'an Tafilah files Dictionary Books Quotes Resources Portal

Cheb Hasni (Arabic : الشاب حسني) born Hasni Chakroun (February 1, 1968 – September 29, 1994) was a performer of Algerian Raï music. He was popular across North Africa, having reached the height of his career in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was the son of a welder and grew up in a working class family where he was one of seven children. Hasni is most well known for his love songs, but he also dealt with taboo subjects such as divorce and alcohol. He was murdered in 1994.

Early career[link]

Born in Oran, Algeria, Cheb Hasni was interested in performing from an early age. In an interview published in the French newspaper Libération in 1992, Hasni recounted how "everyone knew me in our neighbourhood when I was a kid. I was always walking up the road with my school bag thrown off my shoulder, singing my head off"^{[citation needed]}. Hasni was also talented in football and a good student, but these traits were overshadowed by his musical interests.

Hasni's first significant performance as a singer occurred when he attended a local wedding party, where the group led by the famous Naoui brothers was playing. Impressed by his voice, they invited him to perform on stage at a well-known cabaret, La Guinguette.

The second major launching point in Hasni's career came shortly afterwards when a producer asked him to record with Raï performer Chaba Zahouania. During the summer of 1987 the pair recorded a provocative song by Algerian standards, "Beraka" ("The Shack"), gaining them much attention. The subjects of his songs were controversial and made the song popular with Algerian youth, who contributed to the song's estimated sales of one million copies. The success of "Beraka" made Hasni famous, and a controversial subject with both critics and Islamic fundamentalists already concerned over the popularity of the Raï genre. Another major hit was "El Visa" a song about migration, which sold approximately 250,000 cassettes.

Fame[link]

Like many other Raï artists based in Algeria, Cheb Hasni spent more time performing abroad (giving concerts everywhere from Paris, Marseilles, and Boston to Washington DC, Tunis, Casablanca, and Tokyo, to name a few cities) than at home, due to curfews and musical restrictions in Algeria at the time. Hasni’s last concert in his native country was on 5 July 1993, when he performed to an audience of over 150,000 fans in Algiers at an event organised to celebrate Algerian independence.

Hasni became one of the most prolific artists on the Raï scene, recording around 100 cassettes during his career. His distinctive "Raï love" style soon inspired imitators, notably Cheb Nasro, who launched his career in 1988 with the hit "Pour te faire plaisir".

Death[link]

Hasni's fame and controversial songs led to his receiving death threats from Islamic fundamentalist extremists. His primary residence remained in Oran, even though his family lived in the then safer environment of France. On September 29, 1994, he was the first raï musician to be murdered, outside his parents' home in the Gambetta district of Oran.^[1] His death came amid other violent actions against notable North African performers. A few days before his death, Kabylian singing star Lounès Matoub was abducted by the GIA. The following year, on February 15, 1995, Raï producer Rachid Baba-Ahmed was assassinated in Oran.

References[link]

External links[link]

1. (French) "Hasni une légende a l image de l Algerie"
2. (French) Site on Cheb Hasni (sounds et videos)
3. (French) « Cheb Hasni, une legende a l'image de l'Algerie »
4. (French) "Cheb Hasni, histoire d'une tragédie"
5. (French) "Le raï et Cheb Hasni"
6. (French) "biographie de Cheb Hasni"