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JORDAN'S ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
One of her earliest projects was to develop, in cooperation with the Ministry
of
Queen Noor’s involvement in the preservation of Jordan’s architectural heritage has emphasized the importance of achieving a balance between sustainable tourism and development at archaeological sites and of revitalizing the country’s historic villages and towns.
Sustainable tourism and development at archaeological sites:
A) Petra and Aqaba:
As President and Patron of the Petra National Trust (PNT), a private
organization founded in 1989 for the preservation
She is also the Honorary Chairperson of the Higher Committee for Sustainable
Tourism Development in the Petra Region, which was formed by the Council of Ministers in
1993 to coordinate the efforts of the public and private sectors in
B) Iraq Al-Amir:
The site of the second century B.C. palace of Hyrcanus the Tobiad, who settled at Iraq Al-Amir where he built, according to the Roman historian Flavius Josephus, "a strong fortress, which was constructed entirely of white marble up to the very roof and had beasts of gigantic size carved on it; and he enclosed it with a wide and deep moat."
The Noor Al Hussein Foundation (NHF), which the Queen established in 1985 to initiate and support national and international projects in the fields of education, women and community development, child welfare and culture and heritage, has renovated 10 farmhouses at Iraq Al-Amir, which it has transformed into an handicrafts village that will preserve the cultural heritage of the region and will be linked to the nearby Hellenistic Palace thus enhancing its touristic appeal and increasing the benefits to the community.
C) Madaba: It is known today as "the City of Mosaics" for its plethora of Byzantine churches whose intricately designed mosaic pavements have inspired scholars for the past two centuries.
In November 1996, Queen Noor inaugurated the Madaba Archaeological Park, which is located in the center of Madaba and contains some of Jordan’s most important mosaic pavements.
The Ministry of Tourism plans to expand the premises of the park and connect it via pedestrian pathways to other archaeological sites in Madaba. The Park has encouraged the private sector to open stores, restaurants and businesses in renovated turn of the century buildings located within the heart of this ancient and historic city.
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After
graduating from Princeton University with a B.A. in Architecture and Urban Planning in
1974, Queen Noor participated in several international urban planning and design projects
in Australia, Iran, the United States and Jordan. Since her marriage to King Hussein in
1978, Queen Noor has been involved in developing and promoting culturally and
environmentally sensitive architectural design and conservation in Jordan. 
Public
Works and Housing, Jordan’s first professional building code. She subsequently
established, in 1980, a National Committee for Public Buildings and Architectural Heritage
to research, record, preserve and rehabilitate historic buildings, to raise the standard
of modern architecture, to promote the study of Arab Islamic and ancient architecture and
of regional influences on Jordanian architecture.
Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the capital city which the
Nabataean Arabs carved out of stone nearly 2,000 years ago; while Aqaba, Jordan’s
only port, is the site of the ancient Nabataean port, the Byzantine town of Ailana and the
seventh century Islamic city of Ayla. To ensure that the cities’ modern architectural
designs harmonize with their archaeological heritage, Queen Noor established an
architectural "watchdog" committee for the Aqaba and Petra region, which
monitors the plans and construction of new buildings and has developed a set of
architectural guidelines and recommendations for public buildings to safeguard the
cultural and environmental integrity of the sites. Her active involvement as a
"troubleshooter" in anticipating and identifying problems and lobbying decision
makers to plan and execute projects in accordance with the Committee’s regulations,
has guaranteed the implementation of culturally and environmentally sensitive projects in
the region. 
of Petra’s antiquities,
cultural heritage and environment, Queen Noor secured a multi-disciplinary team from
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) composed of
specialists in town planning, conservation, site management and tourism, who, in
cooperation with Jordanian experts, produced a Petra National Park Management Plan. An
organization of specialists, officials, representatives of different sectors of
development and the local community are using the plan as a frame of reference for
achieving a responsible balance between preservation concerns and the development of
sustainable tourism. For more information on PNT's activities, please e-mail the
organization at 
protecting the environment of Petra while strengthening and monitoring private investors
and providing the necessary infrastructure. The Higher Committee and PNT meet regularly to
set and review guidelines to approve the architectural designs of new hotels and other
buildings in Petra.
