The Founder King's Palace, "The Defense Headquarters"

This palace stands as a living testament to the Hashemite role in realizing the mission of the Great Arab Revolt. Prince Abdullah bin Hussein established his headquarters here upon his arrival in Ma'an on November 21, 1920. This building, which had been part of the Hejaz Railway since its construction in 1904, was designated "The National Defense Headquarters."

From this building, Prince Abdullah began his activities and made his political decisions. It was from here that he declared himself deputy to his brother, King Faisal (King of Syria), to work towards liberating Syrian lands from French occupation following the Battle of Maysalun. This building became a command and administrative center, and from it, the journey to establish the Jordanian state began, culminating in the establishment of Amman on March 2, 1921.

This building also witnessed the publication of the first newspaper in Transjordan, "Al-Haqq Ya'lu" (Truth Prevails), a weekly publication of five issues: four in Ma'an and one in Amman.

The building, which became known as the "Founder King's Palace," underwent restoration to become a comprehensive national museum highlighting an important historical period that begins with the launch of the Great Arab Revolt and ends with the founding of the Jordanian state.