Restoration works in the Amman Nymphaeum starts in earnest
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The restoration of the Amman Nymphaeum, an ancient Roman structure in downtown Amman, has begun in earnest with funding from the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. Experts from Jordanian universities and antiquities departments are collaborating on the project, which involves documenting the site, analyzing materials, and carefully restoring the structure using modern techniques. The ultimate goal is to preserve this important archaeological site that has survived from Roman times but faces threats from urban development and pollution.
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Restoration works in the Amman Nymphaeum starts in earnest
- 1. Restoration works in the Amman Nymphaeum starts in earnest One of the most innovative cultural-heritage project is currently being made in downtown Amman related to the Nymphaeum which is in the heart of the city. The project which aims at renovating, conserving and restoring this ancient structure that survived since Roman times, is being made through a grant from the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. A number of local actors are participating in its development which is under the auspices of the Jordan Department of Antiquities and whose implementing authority is the Hamdi Mango Center for Scientific Research in the University of Jordan. As project leader, it is working in conjunction with the DoA who has jurisdiction over the site. The Greater Amman Municipality is also offering help when needed. The project, which started last October 2014 and is due to go on till next year follows a two pronged-approach which is documenting the site and working in the field where specialists in archaeology, architecture, restoration and students are involved in firstly going down to the monument, collecting data, substance materials, initial analyzing of chemical material and 3D digital photography before the careful restoring material starts to be made. An impressive lists of academics are involved in the project and they have already started meeting with a view to forming a "roadmap" of action. These include Dr Abeer Al Bawab, Project Director, Dean of the Deanship of Scientific Research at Jordan University, Dr Ramadan Abdallah from Hamdi Mango Center, Dr Mohammad El-Khalili from the Al Hashmiah University, Mr Nizar Al Adarbeh from the Ministry of Tourism, Dr Munithir Jamhawi, Director-General of the Department of Antiquities, Dr Yeyhia Al Shawabkah from Al Hashemite University and Dr Marwan Asmar, a media specialist. These experts have been meeting regularly to draw up a
- 2. conceptual outline of what needs to be done and start preparations. The Nymphaeum is argued to be the biggest in the region and in Roman times it was the main building in the ancient city of Amman, then called Philadelphia. It was organized in two parts with the upper being the Temple of Hercules, presently the Amman Citadel) and the lower including colonnaded streets, of a cardo, a Decumus and the Nymphaeum, and was seen as a typical Roman city. Dr El Khalili, one of the coordinators is robust about the new project. "This is a great Nymphaeum that survived the past, it shows different features of esthetic beauty that should exist in the modern age, but it needs major development which is what we hope to do in this project," he said. It was only in 1904 the structure was rediscovered by Butler, being under a pile of rubble. Its present design is half-octagonal with a symmetrical design. Further, the Numphaeum has two parts, the lower which includes the fountain and the barrel vaults. Its higher part displayed the facade of the building and its back that include vertical apses. Traditionally the monument was built over a cave with running water in an area sloping to the southwest. The vaults were essential to allow the water to pass through without creating damage. Today the challenges are great. The Nymphaeum is in the center of a congested downtown and subject to ongoing air pollution, vibration, and urban changes. In the 1970s for instance, a sewerage infrastructural was put in place under under the monument which connected the different parts of the city. In addition, there are on-going challenges related to nature and weather conditions, raising damp, salt crystallization erosion, stone-weathering, efflorescence, sub-efflorescence, micro- organism growth, staining, crumbling, chipping, cracking, detachment, flaking and peeling. "Once the documentation is finalized, the restoration process can begin through up-to-date modern techniques that are continually
- 3. coming to light to better preserve this archaeological site. The site has not been touched since 2002," El Khalili said. "Although restoration works on the site were made between 1996 and 2002, they were inappropriate because of the cement that was used which proved highly inappropriate and damaged the site. Further the techniques were not appropriate either, so much so, that no major works were carried after that time," he added. As well as technicians, students of archaeology and heritage are partially involved first in data collection and later in the field through taking samples for analysis and then in the actual works of restoration.