Alia al Hussein
Encyclopedia
{|align=right
|
|-
{|align=right
|-
|
|}
Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan (25 December 1948 – 9 February 1977), was the Queen consort of Jordan and the third spouse of King Hussein of Jordan
from her marriage in 1972 until her death in a helicopter crash in 1977. The international airport
in Amman
is named after her.
, she was born in Cairo
, Egypt
. The Touqan
family is a prominent family in Palestine from the city of Nablus. Her father Bahaaldin was born in Jordan in the prominant city of Al-Salt, .
Alia spent most of her childhood years traveling with her parents during her father’s career in Jordan’s diplomatic corps: she lived in Egypt, Turkey, London, the United States, and Rome. She attended Church School in London with her younger brother, Abdullah. She studied at the Rome Center of Liberal Arts of Loyola University of Chicago. She studied political science with a minor in social psychology, and public relations at Hunter College in New York. She was interested in sports and writing, and she wished to be a diplomat. In 1971, she moved to Jordan, where she worked for Royal Jordanian Airlines. She was asked by King Hussein Bin Talal to oversee the preparations for the first International Water Skiing Festival held in Aqaba in September 1972.
They had two children:
They also adopted Abir
, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl whose mother had been killed by a plane crash at a refugee camp near the Amman airport.
Alia's love of the arts and literature inspired the establishment of libraries throughout the country, including one at the Central Bank of Jordan and another in the King Hussein Medical City. Her interest in the arts led to the founding of the Haya Cultural Centre for Children, the National Folklore Troupe and the Alia Art Gallery. It was also instrumental in conceiving the Jerash Festival for the Arts.
In 1974, Alia called for women to be granted the right to elect and be elected for parliament. On 4 April 1974, a law was promulgated granting women this right; however the suspension of parliamentary life in Jordan between 1974 and 1989 prevented its implementation.
Alia died in a helicopter crash in Amman, Jordan, and Amman airport was subsequently renamed Queen Alia International Airport
.
|
|-
{|align=right
|-
|
|}
Alia Baha Ad-Din Touqan (25 December 1948 – 9 February 1977), was the Queen consort of Jordan and the third spouse of King Hussein of Jordan
Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal was the third King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict...
from her marriage in 1972 until her death in a helicopter crash in 1977. The international airport
Queen Alia International Airport
Queen Alia International Airport is Jordan's largest airport that is situated in Zizya area, 20 miles south of Amman. The airport has three terminals: two passenger terminals and one cargo terminal. It is the home hub of Royal Jordanian Airlines, the national flag carrier, as well as being a...
in 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...
is named after her.
Background
A daughter of Bahaalddin Toukan, former Jordanian ambassador to the Court of St. James'sCourt of St. James's
The Court of St James's is the royal court of the United Kingdom. It previously had the same function in the Kingdom of England and in the Kingdom of Great Britain .-Overview:...
, she was born in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. The Touqan
Touqan
Touqan is a prominent Palestinian & Jordanian family based in Nablus and Al-Salt. During Ottoman times they were the only household that ever came close to centralizing all of the District of Nablus under their rule, and their members held the post of district chief longer than did any other local...
family is a prominent family in Palestine from the city of Nablus. Her father Bahaaldin was born in Jordan in the prominant city of Al-Salt, .
Alia spent most of her childhood years traveling with her parents during her father’s career in Jordan’s diplomatic corps: she lived in Egypt, Turkey, London, the United States, and Rome. She attended Church School in London with her younger brother, Abdullah. She studied at the Rome Center of Liberal Arts of Loyola University of Chicago. She studied political science with a minor in social psychology, and public relations at Hunter College in New York. She was interested in sports and writing, and she wished to be a diplomat. In 1971, she moved to Jordan, where she worked for Royal Jordanian Airlines. She was asked by King Hussein Bin Talal to oversee the preparations for the first International Water Skiing Festival held in Aqaba in September 1972.
Family
She married the king in a private ceremony on 24 December 1972, and was titled Queen Alia al Hussein .They had two children:
- Princess Haya, born 3 May 1974
- Prince Ali, born 23 December 1975
They also adopted Abir
Abir Muhaisen
Abir Muhaisen was adopted by King Hussein of Jordan and his third wife, Queen Alia, after her mother was killed by a plane crash at their Palestinian refugee camp in Amman, Jordan in 1976. She attended Oldfields School in Glencoe, Maryland and graduated in 1992...
, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl whose mother had been killed by a plane crash at a refugee camp near the Amman airport.
Queen
Queen Alia developed the role of consort to King Hussein, and founded the office of the Queen of Jordan as an active and public role. The active role of a queen she founded in Jordan has been followed by her successors in that position. She financed social development projects, placing particular emphasis on women and children. She made surprise visits to hospitals and national institutions, aiming to raise standards and help people to help themselves. In her drive to ensure that children from impoverished backgrounds received their right in education, she fostered close ties with schools such as the Schneller School for orphans, which took many street children that Queen Alia sent there: this was a commitment that continued throughout her lifetime and beyond, when King Hussein ensured the continuation of the many educational scholarships given in her name.Alia's love of the arts and literature inspired the establishment of libraries throughout the country, including one at the Central Bank of Jordan and another in the King Hussein Medical City. Her interest in the arts led to the founding of the Haya Cultural Centre for Children, the National Folklore Troupe and the Alia Art Gallery. It was also instrumental in conceiving the Jerash Festival for the Arts.
In 1974, Alia called for women to be granted the right to elect and be elected for parliament. On 4 April 1974, a law was promulgated granting women this right; however the suspension of parliamentary life in Jordan between 1974 and 1989 prevented its implementation.
Alia died in a helicopter crash in Amman, Jordan, and Amman airport was subsequently renamed Queen Alia International Airport
Queen Alia International Airport
Queen Alia International Airport is Jordan's largest airport that is situated in Zizya area, 20 miles south of Amman. The airport has three terminals: two passenger terminals and one cargo terminal. It is the home hub of Royal Jordanian Airlines, the national flag carrier, as well as being a...
.
Institutions associated with Queen Alia
- Securing Political Constitutional Rights for Women
- The SOS Children's Village
- The Queen Alia Foundation for Hearing and Speech
- The Farah Rehabilitation Unit at the King Hussein Medical City
- The Queen Alia Heart Institute at the King Hussein Medical City
- Tkiyet Um AliTkiyet Um AliTkiyet Um Ali , is a Jordanian non-governmental organization initiated by HRH Princess Haya Bint Al-Hussein to fight hunger and poverty in Jordan in a sustainable manner...