Mafraq: The Jordan Tour Guides Association, in cooperation with the Umm Al-Jimal Municipality, organized a cultural and scientific forum on Wednesday to mark the inclusion of the ancient city of Umm Al-Jimal in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
In the forum, attended by officials, specialists, and academics, Umm Al-Jamal Mayor Hassan Al-Ruhaiba pointed out the historical importance of Umm Al-Jimal through time and efforts made to include it on the World Heritage List, as well as its strengths, especially the roofing method of buildings, water systems, and water harvesting.
He emphasized the role of Jordanian tourist guides in promoting the site and highlighting it as an important tourist destination at various levels.
Ayman Omar, a member of the Jordan Tour Guides Association, pointed out the importance of Umm Al-Jimal, located east of Mafraq in the northern part of the Kingdom, and its civilizational role and the need to highlight it through tourist guides who contribute to the promotion of the homeland and i
ts cultural and human heritage, adding that the visit to Umm Al-Jimal in such a large number indicates interest in the heritage of the homeland and its permanence for future generations.
Mohammad Wuhaib, a member of the Hashemite University faculty staff, pointed to the role of academics in promoting historical and heritage sites by holding lectures, seminars, workshops, and publishing information about Umm Al-Jimal in peer-reviewed scientific journals, which reflects the continuation of the promotion approach and the development and updating of information, which reflects positively on the Kingdom’s civilizational heritage.
Also, Abdulaziz Huwaidi, a member of the Al Al-Bayt University faculty staff, highlighted the historical and heritage importance of Umm Al-Jimal at the local, regional, and international levels, pointing to the academic role in publishing articles, information, master’s and doctoral theses on the city’s heritage, which contributes to documenting the city scientifically.
Mohammad Zahid,
a Department of Antiquities staff member, explained the department’s role in the preservation, maintenance, and restoration of Umm Al-Jamal, highlighting key sites in the city of Umm Al-Jimal.
Mohammad Hamdeh, one of the oldest tourist guides in the Jordan Tour Guides Association, referred to the development of Umm Al-Jimal and the infrastructure services that contribute to attracting tourists to the city, and effectively contribute to its advancement and continuous growth, recalling Umm Al-Jimal in the old days and the efforts of Department of Antiquities staff in surveying and excavation and the role of foreign missions.
Concluding the forum, participants recommended focusing on the scientific publication of Umm al-Jimal, providing information in different languages for visitors and enabling citizens to recognize the heritage of their ancestors.
Source: Jordan News Agency
