Project Summary  

Modern Amman’s emergence can be traced to the late 19th century, when settlements started around the valley of Wadi Amman. These new settlements/hamlets were initially created in a landscape largely used by pastoralists. Over time, these settlements expanded across the seven hills of the city and merged creating the urban fabric of Amman, the capital city of Jordan. By mid-20th century, the city’s architecture flourished, influenced by builders and architects who brought architectural methods, techniques and materials from neighbouring countries. Rapid urbanisation, population growth, and lack of documentation highlighted the need for proper protection through the mapping and documentation of Amman’s built heritage. 

Project details

Location: Jordan

Project Title: Protecting Jordan’s post-1921 CE Built Heritage 

Year(s): 2019 to present  

Project Team: 

• Shatha Mubaideen, Architect and Senior Research and Partnerships Officer at the CBRL Amman Institute.
• Rudaina Al Momani, Archaeologist and CBRL Amman Institute Librarian.
• Dana Salameen, Geomatics Engineer at the DoA and the EAMENA Project (2019-2021)

Project Development 

2019-2021 

In response to this challenge, the Amman Heritage Houses (AHH) project was launched in 2019, led by Shatha Mubaideen (Architect), Rudaina al Momani (Archaeologist), and Dana Salameen (Geomatics Engineer), with funding from the Global Heritage Fund and in affiliation with CBRL. Over one year, the team recorded and assessed a representative sample of 108 houses representing the post-1921 CE tangible heritage in Jabal Amman and Jabal Al-Weibdeh, two of the oldest neighbourhoods in Amman, as the start of a comprehensive record of these Amman heritage houses using the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) recording and condition assessment methodology. 

A key impact of the Amman Heritage Houses Project has been its role in broadening the scope of the EAMENA project, which traditionally focused on ancient and archaeological sites to accommodate recent architectural heritage. The project’s impact is demonstrated by its integration into global discussions about architectural heritage preservation, as evidenced by a study published in Levant and can be accessed here.  

Partnerships, Collaboration, and Community Engagement 

2021-2023 

Building on the outcomes of the Amman Heritage Houses Project and CBRL’s ongoing commitment to heritage research and youth engagement, the CBRL Amman Institute has expanded its efforts under the Heritage, Cities and urbanisation Research Themes. A key initiative in this direction has been CBRL’s collaboration with the Heritage Preservation Committee at the Jordan Engineers Association (JEA). Between 2021 to 2023, the two partners have engaged in organising several youth-oriented activities such as webinars, a photography competition, a training course, workshops, heritage days, and heritage walks. These initiatives, in partnership with over 18 organisations across 9 events, benefited more than 500 participants in Jordan and abroad. This collaboration has been further explored in a recent academic study, published in Levant, which can be accessed here.  

Future Plans and Sustainability 

2024-2025 and Beyond  

Complementing these documentation and outreach initiatives and in response to the needs of the heritage community, CBRL has broadened its approach to include hands-on training and youth empowerment in architectural heritage preservation. In 2024, CBRL secured funding from the Commonwealth Heritage Forum (CHF) under the Commonwealth Heritage Skills Training Programme to design and coordinate a training programme on manual heritage documentation skills. This programme targets new graduate architects from Jordan, Palestine, and Syria, as well as representatives from various municipalities across Jordan. It is designed to combine theoretical sessions with practical, field-based workshops and study tours, along with follow-up activities such as a research funding workshop and a Training of Trainers (ToT) module to ensure long-term sustainability, for more information, click here. Looking ahead, CBRL plans to expand this initiative to train additional professionals on manual and digital skills and continue fostering cross-border cooperation in the region. 

Conclusion 

These efforts align closely with the Amman Heritage Houses Project’s mission and CBRL’s collaboration with the Jordan Engineers Association to protect and celebrate Jordan’s rich architectural legacy. Looking forward, this flagship initiative is set to serve as a model for other heritage preservation projects across Jordan and the Levant. We are actively seeking funding opportunities to continue and expand this vital work in the future. 

Written By: Shatha Mubaideen, Architect and Senior Research and Partnerships Officer at the CBRL Amman Institute.

Published:05 March 2025