Salat al-Ghayeb, or prayer of the absent, was recited after the weekly Friday prayer across the kingdom, the official media reported.

The main ceremony was held at the King Abdullah I mosque, named after the great grandfather of Jordan's reigning monarch, King Abdullah II, and founder of modern-day Jordan.

Religious Affairs Minister Ahmad Heleil attended the prayers along with several diplomats from the Iranian embassy in Amman. King Abdullah had instructed the ministry to organise the prayers.

A week after the massive earthquake flattened Bam, estimates of the death toll still vary widely, from 26,500 to more than 50,000, although the most accurate estimate seems to be around 30,000.

Jordan has joined the relief effort by sending a field hospital with an operating theatre to Bam and several tonnes of medical supplies and aid.

TERRA.WIRE