The Heritage Committee/ Architecture division at the Jordan Engineers Association and the Council for British Research in the Levant (CBRL) Amman Institute, in cooperation with the Engineers Association in Jerusalem and the Architects Association in Palestine, are organising a cultural day on the Rehabilitation and Development of Architectural Heritage in Palestinian Cities; an Experience to Share on Saturday, 5th November 2022, at al-Hussein Cultural Center, Amman.
The public event will have representatives from NGOs in Palestine to feature presentations and a projects gallery of heritage protection initiatives by NGOs with a focus on partnerships and collaboration at the institution and community levels. It will include lectures, panel discussions, and roundtables to encourage active learning from the Palestinian experience and open the doors for future collaboration between centres and individuals in Jordan and Palestine for heritage resources protection. The participating NGOs from Palestine are Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, the Palestinian Heritage Center in Bethlehem, Welfare Association – Taawon and Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation.
The event will take place from 8:30-4:30 (Amman). Find the full programme here.
Register to attend the event here.
About the speakers:
Nadia Habash, Engineers Association/ Jerusalem branch
Nadia Habash graduated from the Department of Architecture at the University of Jordan and received her MA in Design, Theory and Philosophy of Architecture from the University of Michigan. She received the Excellence Award for Women in Architecture and Construction in the Near East and North Africa in 2018 and the Middle East Journal of Architects among the 50 most influential architectural figures in the Middle East in 2019. In addition to her office, Habash works as an accredited professor in the Department of Architecture at Birzeit University. She is the first woman to head a professional syndicate in Palestine, where she was elected in 2021.
Issam Juha, the Palestinian Heritage Center in Bethlehem
Issam Juha holds a BA in Architecture from Birzeit University and an MA in World Heritage Studies from Brandenburg University, Germany. He has been the Director of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Center in Bethlehem since 2008, working to implement rehabilitation projects of buildings’ urban spaces and improvement of the living conditions for residents of old towns, and on preparing the nomination files for the sites of Bethlehem and Battir for the UNESCO World Heritage List. Issam also served as a Deputy Mayor of Bethlehem Municipality from 2012 to 2017, where he contributed to the municipality’s adoption of the first system to preserve the historical city centre and traditional buildings in Palestine. He is also a part-time lecturer at Bethlehem University.
Emad Hamdan, Hebron Rehabilitation Committee
Emad is the General Director of Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC). He holds a Master degree in Sustainable Development. He is a Cultural Heritage Preservation Activist and a lecturer and trainer in local universities and institutions. Emad is also the head of Hebron Housing Society and a Board Member in several NGOs.
Yousef Taha, Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation
Yousef Taha is an architect and restorer. He holds a BA degree in architecture from Birzeit University and a master’s degree in Built Heritage from the University of Malta. He as been working in the restoration of historic buildings in Riwaq since 2011. He has a passion for architecture, IT, and archiving. Yousef participated in a series of workshops and training related to conservation and archiving, such as the Stone Conservation course (SC17) organized by ICCROM in 2018 in Mexico City and a series of workshops related to archiving in Beirut with the Arab Image Foundation (AIF) and the Middle East Photograph Preservation Initiative (MEPPI).
Amal Abu al Hawa, Welfare Association, Taawon
Amal Abu al Hawa holds a BA degree in Architecture from Birzeit University and a master’s degree in Archeology and Islamic Architecture from Al Quds University. She started her career with the Old City of Jerusalem Revitalization Programme (OCJRP)- Welfare Association as a conservation architect, where she worked on rehabilitating and renovating historical monuments and residential Buildings in Jerusalem. In 2017, Amal rejoined Taawon /Welfare Association, where she leads and directs OCJRP. Amal’s work with Taawon focuses on preserving the cultural heritage by applying international conventions and the highest professional standards, for the direct benefit of the old cities’ residents, building users and visitors to the old cities of Palestine as well as for future generations.