King attends Jerusalem martyr re-burial ceremony

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), on Monday attended a military ceremony that took place at the Martyr’s Memorial to bury the remains of a fallen JAF soldier who died in the Jerusalem battles.

The ceremony also marked the reopening of the memorial, as part of the Kingdom's celebrations of the Great Arab Revolt’s centennial, according to a Royal Court statement.

A ceremony was held at dawn Monday to transfer the martyr’s remains from a JAF cemetery at the Prophet Samuel site in Jerusalem to the memorial site in Amman. A group of guards of honour and a representative of the JAF Iftaa Department accompanied the remains back home. 

The martyr’s body, along with other bodies, rested in Jerusalem for decades. Some Jordanian soldiers were buried anonymously at a cemetery as they were defending the holy city.

Arriving in Amman, a convoy headed out from the Royal Court’s Flag Square to the memorial, carrying the martyr’s remains — wrapped in the Jordanian — flag on the same artillery wagon that carried the body of His Majesty the late King Hussein.

When the remains arrived at the memorial ceremony, many JAF and security units, wearing the Jerusalem outfit that symbolises JAF’s battles in the holy city, queued to salute the martyr.

Simultaneously, Royal Jordanian Air Force helicopters carrying the Great Arab Revolt banner, the Jordanian flag and JAF’s banner flew over the site in salute of the Unknown Soldier, while the artillery fired 21 shots as the remains were being transferred to the main ceremony.

Hawker Hunters, the first fighters used by the Air Force back in the in 1950s, flew above the site.

Pallbearers lined up in front of King Abdullah, while JAF’s music band played a piece of music composed especially for the occasion.

The remains were buried at the resting place of the Unknown Soldier, in the centre of the memorial where the Supreme Commander laid a wreath of flowers on the martyr’s tomb.

The hall housing the martyr’s tomb was designed in a way that highlights the values of sacrifice and heroism, as well as allowing light to enter directly into the tomb through a seven-edged star that symbolises the seven verses of Al Fatiha, the opening chapter of the Koran.

Touring the memorial facilities, His Majesty had a firsthand look at the renovation stages of the external yards of the monument, which was first opened on July 25, 1977, as part of the Kingdom’s celebrations of the 25th anniversary of late King Hussein’s coronation.

King Abdullah attended the changing of the guard ceremony at the memorial’s Renaissance Square, performed by a special infantry platoon that is part of the guard of honour.

The guard change will occur daily, as part of national efforts to encourage cultural tourism through attracting visitors to visit the venue, which is planned to be a main stop for official delegations visiting the Kingdom.

The memorial witnessed a two-year renovation that preserved its iconic identity as a museum that documents all the historic stages of modern Jordan and the sacrifices of its service people. 

The inauguration marks the conclusion of the Kingdom’s celebrations of the centennial of the Great Arab Revolt, which was launched by Sharif Hussein Bin Ali on June 10, 1916.