REVITALIZING JORDAN’S HISTORIC VILLAGES AND TOWNS

Inscribed on the temple of Apollo at Delphi is an anonymous saying: "Know thyself", which is particularly pertinent to countries in the developing world whose cultural identity is gradually being eroded. Jordan, during the past five decades, has witnessed the abandonment of its historic villages and neighborhoods and the subsequent over-expansion of its urban centers.

In order to reverse this trend, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), with the support of the government of Jordan and the World Bank, established a nature reserve in Dana, an abandoned 15th century village in the south of Jordan, and began a project to revitalize it. Queen Noor, the Patron of the RSCN, visits Dana regularly to review the progress of the project, which involved the renovation of the original historic stone dwellings and provision of basic services and income-generating activities for the villagers. In 1993, the Noor Al Hussein Foundation (NHF) provided assistance from its Quality of Life project for Dana’s small-scale agricultural schemes, such as bee keeping, goat raising and medicinal herbs. Currently, the NHF buys and markets jewelry manufactured in Dana using local semi-precious stones.

Queen Noor, the Patron of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, during one of her regular visits to Dana regularly to review the progress of the project, which involved the renovation of the original historic stone dwellings and provision of basic services and income-generating activities for the villagers.

Queen Noor has also encouraged and supported the renovation of traditional Jordanian villages near archaeological sites such as Taybet Zaman, which is a popular tourist village and hotel located only ten minutes away from Petra. Not only does it offer the local villagers gainful employment, but it also helps relieve touristic pressure on the vulnerable archaeological site.

The Prince of Wales lamented that England’s old residential districts are gradually being abandoned, neglected and demolished. Jordan is also facing this problem, which came to a head in Fuheis when its nineteenth century neighborhood, known as Harat Ruwaq Al-Balqa, was turned into a city dump and slated for eventual demolition. The private sector successfully pioneered the restoration and rehabilitation of the neighborhood, which was turned into an artists colony and officially opened by the Queen last June. She also helped the town’s concerned citizens establish a Technical Committee for the Development of the Historic Sites of Fuheis to protect its historic buildings and ensure the integration of Fuheis’ rich architectural and cultural heritage within the city’s town planning and development.

Queen Noor chats with a young artist at Harat Al-Ruwaq Al-Balqa in Fuheis,which the Queen opened on 25 June 1995. Harat Al-Ruwaq, which encompasses Fuheis' renovated old suq, features small handicrafts shops, a late nineteenth century church museum that exhibits old books and icons, the first sculpture gallery in the Arab world, art galleries and an open studio for artists.

Queen Noor’s involvement in Jordan’s architectural and cultural heritage is not limited to restoration and protection, but also includes supporting the development of Jordan’s "living heritage", particularly by the private sector. One notable example is Abdul Hamid Shoman Foundation’s Darat al Funun (Small House of the Arts), which overlooks the heart of Amman and encompasses three renovated turn of the century houses located alongside the remains of a Byzantine Church, built over a Roman temple dedicated to Hercules.

Queen Noor and Queen Sofia of Spain inaugurated the Contemporary Spanish art exhibition entitled "from Picasso To Our Present Days" at the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation's Darat Al-Funun (Small House of the Arts), located in the old residential quarter of Amman, next to the remains of a small Byzantine Church.

Not only has it revitalized Amman’s oldest residential district, but it has also brought art to a more populated, lower income area of the city thus making it available to a broad cross-section of society.

Queen Noor and Queen Sofia are shown by Mrs. Suha Shoman one of the paintings from Darat Al-Funun's permanent collection of contemporary Arab Art.

Queen Noor is striving to preserve Jordan’s cultural identity and reduce the mutual exclusion of daily life and history. The country’s historic villages and archaeological sites are not and will not become inanimate museums displaying the relics of the past, but vibrant centers integrating the country’s rich cultural heritage with comprehensive and sustainable socio-economic development.

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