Ajloun Castle Celebrates Olive Harvest Season as 80 Families Showcase Jordan’s Rural Heritage

The 12th Ajloun Olive Festival and 29th Handicrafts and Local Products Exhibition bring together traditional crafts, agricultural products and rural shopping experiences at one of Jordan’s most prominent historic landmarks.

The 12th Ajloun Olive Festival opened on Thursday, November 12, 2026, in the courtyard of historic Ajloun Castle in northern Jordan, alongside the 29th Handicrafts and Rural Products Exhibition, bringing together approximately 80 producing families, local farmers, artisans and community associations.

The three-day festival offers visitors an experience combining a visit to one of Jordan’s most significant historical landmarks with an opportunity to discover the agricultural products and traditional crafts for which Ajloun Governorate is renowned, particularly olive oil and olive-based products.

The festival features stalls showcasing locally produced olive oil and olive products, alongside traditional rural foods, handmade crafts and heritage items reflecting the region’s longstanding agricultural and artisanal traditions.

Festival coordinator Munther Al-Zghoul said the event enables producing families and farmers to showcase their products and engage directly with visitors, providing a marketing opportunity for small businesses and local producers.

The festival is organized through cooperation between Ajloun Heritage and Culture House, the Ajloun Tourism Directorate, and several local institutions and community associations.

Hosting the event in the courtyard of Ajloun Castle adds a distinctive tourism dimension, allowing visitors to explore the region’s agricultural heritage while discovering the 12th-century Ayyubid fortress.

Ajloun Castle is one of northern Jordan’s most important historical attractions, distinguished by its elevated location overlooking the mountainous landscape and surrounding forests.

Firas Al-Khattatbeh, Director of Ajloun Tourism, emphasized that holding the festival at the historic site strengthens the connection between local products and the governorate’s cultural and tourism identity.

The festival’s significance lies in transforming the olive harvest season, an essential part of northern Jordan’s agricultural life, into an accessible tourism experience where visitors can discover local products and meet the people behind traditional crafts.

It also provides producing families with an opportunity to market their goods directly to consumers, expanding their reach beyond conventional retail channels.

For travellers, the festival can be combined with visits to Ajloun Castle and other natural and historical attractions across the governorate, creating a short itinerary focused on local culture, traditional food and rural experiences.

While such events provide valuable marketing opportunities for local producers, no official figures have yet been released regarding sales volumes or tourism spending generated by this year’s festival.