Jordan Times
Monday, October 3, 2005
Queen Rania lays cornerstone for National Museum
AMMAN (JT) — Her Majesty Queen Rania on Sunday
laid the cornerstone for the National Museum, which will celebrate the Kingdom's
rich and diverse history and culture and the country's commitment to showcase
and preserve local treasures for future generations.
During the ceremony, the minister of public works and housing, the mayor of
Amman, and the secretary general of the Ministry of Tourism highlighted the
museum as a national landmark and a vital resource to preserve and promote
Jordan's cultural heritage and identity.
Participants also commended the Japanese government's support to the project as
well as other initiatives in the tourism sector.
Japanese Ambassador to Jordan Koichi Obata highlighted the strength of bilateral
relations between Japan and Jordan, and the role the museum will play in
promoting the Kingdom's rich and diverse history to both local and international
audiences.
HRH Princess Sumaya, vice chairman of the National Museum board of trustees,
members of the board, representatives from the Japan Bank for International
Cooperation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project's
Japanese consultants PCI, and representatives from the Japanese construction
firm Jurgon Consultants Pte. Ltd./Synergy Construction Pte. Ltd. attended the
ceremony yesterday.
Construction work on the three-storey, 10,000-square- metre museum, located in
the heart of Amman in Ras El Ain, began earlier this year, with plans to open
its doors to the public by mid-2007.
Exhibits within the main exhibition halls will span the country's history from
the Great Arab Revolt to modern day Jordan and will take visitors on an exciting
journey through the many historical civilisations that inhabited this land.
Following the ceremony, Queen Rania chaired the National Museum's second board
meeting at the King Hussein Cultural Centre.
The Queen said the meeting marks a new phase in the project's development and
requires expanding synergies between the private and public sectors as well as
the local community, in addition to creating new partnerships with specialised
and expert institutions both locally and internationally.
The meeting included several presentations on the museum's positioning within
the Tourism Sector Development Project, the project budget, plans to expand the
museum to include a children's interactive area, as well as a presentation on
the museum exhibit content.