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"CHILD WELFARE" PRESS RELEASESQueen Noor inaugurates Zaha Cultural Center for Children and officially opens the Amman City Hall. Tuesday 6 January 1998 Her Majesty Queen Noor Tuesday inaugurated the Zaha Cultural Center for Children in the Rjoum Khilda district in western Amman. The center, which was named after its benefactress Mrs. Zaha Jardaneh-Mango, comprises a library, a computer center, a small cinema, an outdoor theater, two tennis courts, children's playgrounds and a cafeteria situated within a nine-dunum park donated by the Greater Amman Municipality. The Queen expressed her gratitude and appreciation for Mrs. Zaha Mango's generous donation, which "represents a fine example of cooperation between individuals and local authorities in establishing projects that enhance national development and address children’s recreational, artistic and cultural needs." In December 1996, Mrs. Zaha Mango donated JD 300,000 to the Amman municipality to finance the construction of a children's park. The latter developed to include a cultural center, to which she donated an additional JD 50,000. According to Mrs. Mango, children in Amman "generally play on the street and do not have many places to go for recreational purposes." When asked about her donation, Mrs. Mango simply said: "I wished to pay tribute to my country, which has honored me." The Mayor of Amman Dr. Mamdouh Abbadi and Mrs. Zaha Mango attended the opening of the center with the Queen. Later, Queen Noor officially opened the Amman City Hall in Ras El-Ein. The three story building was designed by two leading Jordanian architects Ja'far Toukan and Rassem Badran, who favored a contemporary Islamic architectural style. It includes a complete floor for exhibitions by local and international artists and is currently hosting three exhibits by Jordanian artists. The City Hall also comprises the headquarters of the city council, meeting rooms for the various municipal committees and the Mayor of Amman's office. Over the past three years, the Municipality of Amman has embarked upon a master plan to revitalize the old city center, whose nucleus is "sahat Al-Muhajireen" in Ras El-Ein. The development plan of the "sahat", which is in the shape of a crescent measuring around 140 dunums, includes the building of a City Hall, a mosque, a convention center, a national museum and library as well as public park and gardens. Dr. Mamdouh Abbadi and municipal officials attended the opening of the City Hall with the Queen. |
