La définition d'une stratégie d'intervention. La ... - RehabiMed

La définition d’une stratégie d’intervention.
La definición de una estrategia de intervención
Defining a strategy for intervention
Rehabilitation of the Cultural Landscape
at Umm-Qais
“The Ottoman Village in the Ancient City of Gadara”
Prof. Mohammad El-Khalili*, Nizar Al Adarbeh**
* Ph.D. Conservation of Architectural Heritage 1999. M.A. Restoration
of Monuments 1992. B.Sc. Architecture 1986. (All at University of Rome
“La Sapienza” Italy). Professor at the Department of Conservation
Science, at the Hashemite University of Jordan. Published different
articles and participated in many international Projects and
conferences
** M.A. Cultural Resources Management. Department of Conservation
and Cultural Resources Management, Faculty of Archaeology
and Anthropology, Yarmouk University. B.A. Sustainable Tourism.
Hashemite University. Participated in different researches and
projects as well as international conferences for the conservation and
management of cultural heritage.
Adress:
Hashemite University
Queen Rania’s Institute of Tourism and Heritage
Department of Conservation Science
Zarqa – Jordan
e-mail
* mohd_elkhalili@yahoo.com
** nizar_ad_83@yahoo.com
Telephone:
* +962 5 3903333 ext. 4641 Mobile: +962 79 5934326
** +962 6 5538597 Mobile: +962 79 6849530
Introduction
The modern town of Umm-Qais is the site of ancient Greco-Roman
town of Gadara one of the cities of the Decapolis. The Greeks were the
first to marvel at breathtaking view and established their acropolis, later
Roman Byzantine, and Ottomans followed. The intensive successive
occupation during the rich past of the city has deposited gigantic
cultural layers.
Umm-Qais situated 110 km north of Amman. The Yarmouk River is
visible to the north; the south offers the forested hills of Ajloun, the
Irbid plateau to the east and the fertile Jordan valley to the west. This
strategic location of Gadara was an important factor in its settlement.
In Umm-Qais we have observed the site within its surroundings, and
we have identified most of the impacts of the previous activities, and
evaluate the results in order to find out the wrong policies in the general
management of the site, furthermore, suggestions for new exploitation
possibilities that could be valuable in the future.
Today’s historic site of Umm-Qais represents a complex collage of
cultural landscape. In such a dynamic system, there is a continuing
element of growth, modification, and development. The landscape’s
elements have changed over time tend only to increase its significance
as a historical setting. However, the modern human interventions
including archaeological excavations and restoration works conducted
were disturbing the cultural landscape and caused deterioration for
some buildings as a result of wrong policies in the past years. (Fig. 1)
The Socio-Economic Impacts on Conservation
In the past, the government conducted development plans in a national
level were some sites affected reversely rather than expected; some of
them were destructed and neglected in the long run. One of these plans
was the “Five Year Plan for Economic and Social Development 1981-
1985”, aiming to protect the cultural heritage, increase the awareness
of its cultural value among people, and promoting them as a source
and a backbone for the country’s economy as tourism destinations.
However, the implementation was far from the goals and the results
as well. Therefore, Umm Qais was affected by some negative impacts
of this national plan.
In 1988, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities established a
management plan for the site. This included a rehabilitation of some
buildings as a rest house, museum, police unit, and safe parking. As a
part of the plan the Ottoman village was evacuated and new real sates
were granted as a compensation for the locals. In addition, locals were
promised to be involved in the management of the new projects in
the region.
The historical land use in the region was mainly for farming purposes and
the construction vernacular structures was, somehow, concentrated as
a close clusters within the ottoman village but since the increase in the
population number and the pressure of the government development
plans have accelerated the process of land partition among the family
members. This caused the disfiguration of the ancient agricultural
landscape as well as the pressure of the new Umm-Qais village next to
the old one and most of the time constructed on some of the ancient
remains since there was no comprehensive urban plan for the village.
Management and Planning Problems
The main problem which is facing the site is the existing management
and planning process that have been adopted in the last two decades.
Jordan, as one of the developing countries, which has not yet developed
the right policies for treating its cultural heritage nor even protective
legislations as a significant part of its identity and as a valuable cultural
asset of its own. The sites were the only prey of these wrong policies in
the previous decades.
There is a misconception about the interpretation and presentation
of the whole regional context. The evacuation of the Ottoman
Tourism. In addition there is no comprehensive plan of action for the
archaeological site that regulate the balance between the protection of
the site and its cultural assets as a conservation issue, and there socioeconomic
impacts on the perception of their visitors and local people
as a development issue. Therefore we should investigate the current
management and planning process for the identification, conservation,
interpretation and promotion of Umm-Qais in order to establish an
appropriate comprehensive management plan.
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