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From Abandoned Mines to a Labyrinth of Knowledge: a Conceptual Design for a Geoheritage Park Museum in Jordan

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Abstract

An abandoned phosphate site in Ruseifa, Jordan, offers a unique opportunity to tell tales of geology, mining, industry, history, built heritage, and environment during the formative days of the Kingdom. This paper aims to present a proposed project for the first geopark to be created in Jordan. This project plans to blend outdoor and indoor exhibits and activities to create a unique educational experience for visitors of various ages and backgrounds. Moreover, the project aims to create opportunities for local communities in the area, rehabilitate an urban trouble spot and replace it with a tourist attraction and a source of civic pride. Recent changes in the surrounding landscape involve building new roads and retaining walls, which have begun to endanger the character of the site. That, as well as the natural deterioration and vandalism of the old buildings, mean that continued neglect will ultimately lead to the loss of the geological and heritage value of the site. This increases the urgency of intervening and implementing the proposed project.

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Notes

  1. Khaled Momani, personal conversation.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Architect Sara Khatib for her help in the early stages of the project. Jamal Safi and Tawfiq Huneiti for the Department of Antiquities of Jordan conducted the three dimensional laser scanning of the site. In this context, we would like also to thank Dr. Munther Jamhawi for his cooperation in this endeavor. His excellency Taher Shakhir, then Minister of Environment and Engineer Raoof Dabbas offered much support and encouragement in advocating for the project. The Jordan Phosphate Mines company, represented by its director, staff, and employees offered much moral support and help in giving access to the site.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Jordanian University, Amman, 11180, Jordan

    K. AlRayyan & A. Ghaith

  2. German Protestant Institute of Archaeology, Amman, Jordan

    C. Hamarneh

  3. Amman, Jordan

    H. Sukkar

  4. Center for the Study of Natural and Cultural Heritage, German Jordanian University, Amman, Jordan

    N. Abu-Jaber

Authors
  1. K. AlRayyan
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  2. C. Hamarneh
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  3. H. Sukkar
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  4. A. Ghaith
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  5. N. Abu-Jaber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Hamarneh.

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AlRayyan, K., Hamarneh, C., Sukkar, H. et al. From Abandoned Mines to a Labyrinth of Knowledge: a Conceptual Design for a Geoheritage Park Museum in Jordan. Geoheritage 11, 257–270 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-017-0266-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-017-0266-8

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