Jordan Times
Friday, April 4, 2008
‘Petra: Lost City of Stone’ to be showcased in Amman
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN - After a four-year journey showcasing the face of Petra to thousands of
people across the US and Canada, the “Petra: Lost City of Stone” exhibition is
now being prepared to be brought back to the country and recreated in Amman.
A major undertaking projecting the history and spirit of the ancient Nabataean
city, the exhibit will be on display in the capital for two years.
The Department of Antiquities (DoA), the Ministry of Tourism, the Greater Amman
Municipality, the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) and the USAID/Jordan Tourism
Development Project (JTDP) have teamed up to plan, fund and implement the
initiative.
According to USAID/JTDP, artifacts featured in the exhibition have already been
shipped back to Jordan and are in the DoA’s possession, while USAID will
transport the rest of the exhibition to the Kingdom in April.
Once it is set up several months later, the exhibition will serve as an added
attraction for Amman, helping to lengthen the stay of visitors to the capital.
It will also serve as an introductory orientation to Petra, as well as
encouraging tourists in Amman to visit Petra.
“The exhibit will introduce visitors to some of Petra’s most significant
artifacts and help generate greater interest in the site among tourists and the
general public,” DoA Director General Fawwaz Khraysheh said.
“It will also help introduce a museum culture and enhance the role of museums in
spreading cultural heritage awareness, as well as giving visitors a unique
experience prior to visiting the site,” he added.
The exhibit is made up of nine components, beginning with an introduction to
Petra and how it was rediscovered, to a look at the people who lived there,
trade and commerce, urban life, worship and more.
It features over 200 objects, including stone sculptures and reliefs, ceramics,
architectural elements, terra cotta and ancient water pipes, as well as
important art works and artifacts.
All are on loan from collections in Jordan, Europe and the United States.
The DoA will lend the exhibition’s artifacts to the Jordan exhibit and supervise
the display and conservation measures needed to protect the pieces.
Aside from helping their entry into the country, the Tourism Ministry will take
possession and title of the exhibits from the current owner (American Museum of
Natural History in Manhattan) and support marketing efforts around the world.
Meanwhile, USAID-JTDP is funding the shipping costs, creating promotional
materials for the exhibit, providing exhibit concept, design curation and
presentation advice and providing technical assistance in developing the
concept, theme and organization of an opening ceremony for VIPs, the diplomatic
corps, journalists and the travel trade.
USAID Jordan Deputy Mission Director Dana Mansuri said she was happy to support
the project and was looking forward to seeing the exhibit set up in Amman in the
near future.
GAM is working on allocating a venue to house the exhibition, expected to cover
an area of 1,000 square meters, hiring exhibit staff and implementing a launch
event.
Amman Mayor Omar Maani, said the presence of the exhibit in Amman would
encourage longer stays here and enable more people to get a taste of this
magnificent archaeological site.
Minister of Tourism Maha Khatib also commended the initiative, saying it would
create an added attraction to the capital and garner more interest in Petra
following its selection as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The exhibition, which was extremely successful in North America, is one of the
first major cultural exchanges between the US and Jordan, highlighting a key
historical site as well as in bringing together ancient artifacts that have been
apart for years.
The Cincinnati Art Museum currently houses one of the most extensive collections
of Nabataean sculptures outside of Jordan dating back to excavations at the site
of Khirbet Al Tannur from 1937. The finds of the excavation were divided between
the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Jordan Archaeological Museum in Amman.
‘’Petra: Lost City of Stone’’, organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum in
partnership with the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan and the
DoA, toured several US cities, including New York, Cincinnati and Grand Rapids,
as well as Canadian cities.
It opened in New York City in October 2003 for a nine-month showing, then
traveled to Cincinnati, where it was on display between September 2004 and
January 2005.
Around 62,203 people visited the exhibition during its 20-week run at the
Cincinnati Art Museum, while a total of 63,808 tickets were sold at Calvin
College during its 115-day showing in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
It then moved to Canada where it was showcased at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary
for five months, and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ontario between
April 7, 2006 and January 2, 2007.