Anniversary of the modernization of the University of Jordan museums
On the occasion of the anniversary of the opening ceremony of the rehabilitation of the Antiquities Museum
And the folklore at the University of Jordan, which falls today May 22, it is nice to recall the history of the rehabilitation of the University's Antiquities and Folklore Museums
Jordan and the ceremony that took place in 2008 to culminate this effort in the two museums
The Museum of Antiquities dates back to 1962 and is the second museum to be established in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan after the Citadel Mountain Museum, and at that time both Prof. Dr. Lotfi Khalil and Prof. Dr. Zeidan Kafafi were working in the museum and began to document and describe the contents of the museum Which came with a donation from the Department of Antiquities. And it was also working that that was Langer Debulaski Abu Nabil (as a technician), Ayesh Abu Hilal (Abu Samih) (museum observer), Mohammad Adi, and photographer Sarkis Labjian (Abu Hanna). And Abu Methqal, in 1986, the nucleus of the Folklore Museum was formed with collections collected by Prof. Dr. Ahmed Rabiaa. As well
The museums were later managed by Prof. Dr. Nabil Khairy, and in the early nineties Mrs. Jumana Al-Assad supervised the museums, who completed the documentation of the museum’s contents with the museum team, especially the contents that came to the museum through the archaeological excavations carried out by members of the Department of Antiquities at that time and during this period Mr. Sami Al-Salameen (Abu Rami), Mrs. Manal Al-Awamleh (Umm Basil) and Mr. Dirar Debolaski were appointed in the museum. In the years 2004-2009, the museum was supervised by Dr. Maysoon Al-Nahar and Mr. Moath Al-Fuqaha and Mrs. Wijdan Al-Salim were appointed to work. In the two museums. During the years 2004-2008, the museum team worked on rehabilitating and renewing the museum, and the University of Jordan contributed an amount of thirty-five thousand that was gradually disbursed during the renovation process. Where iron was laid as the foundation for the museums, new tiles and paint, and work was done on the outside museum and the removal of asphalt from the external arena to reshape the (landscape), according to a plan prepared and donated by the engineer, Fayrouz Al-Nahar, and a stone bridge was added. It connects between the Dolmens antiquities and the museum’s outer yard, and the university’s maintenance department employees accomplished all this work. Mr. Abdul Majeed Majali from Jerash and his team, in addition to the museum team, provided the mechanisms, raised the artifacts, and distributed them in the museum’s outer yard. As for the work inside the Antiquities Museum, it required the renewal of the display cabinets, which he donated to purchase in the amount of ten thousand dinars, His Excellency Mr. Issa Al-Rimouni, Samer Raimouny, and Dr. Raouf Abu Jaber donated four thousand dinars, which was used to buy curtains for the Museum of Antiquities and Folklore. The museum's employees and Mr. owners (the university calligrapher) made the illustrative paintings in the museum, and here it is necessary to acknowledge, thank and appreciate the maintenance department and all its cadres that contributed with all their energy to work with the museum team to develop and modernize it.
As for the students of the Department of Antiquities, they donated a lot of holdings to the Museum of Folklore, in addition to what was purchased by the museum. Among the students mentioned by the students are Omar Alamat and Abdullah Shwayhat (may God have mercy on him) who made a mosaic painting of the Tree of Life, as well as Mrs. Janet Al Murady. Which painted oil paintings at the entrance to the Museum of Antiquities, as did students Fadi Nemer Zaqzouq
Odai Alabadi, Ahmad Barakat, Ali Almeqbali, Feras Wrikat, Saif Almajali and others worked on forming the mud molds to build the country house inside the Heritage Museum, which was built by the university maintenance staff, and Fadi Zakzouq also donated a window And the door of the country house. The holdings of the Folklore Museum before the renovation process were hung on the walls and on wooden panels without a clear organization, and when the museum was renovated, the holdings were distributed according to their cultural and social content, and Mr. Aburami worked on the renewal and construction of many details of this cultural content, especially for life The village and the desert. Mrs. Asma Bani Issa detailed 14 traditional garments for different Jordanian tribes and families from the budget of the Folklore Museum.
And this painstaking work led to the shape of the museum that you see now, so thanks to everyone who contributed to the renewal of this edifice, whoever does not thank people does not thank God, excuse me for anyone who did not help me in memory by mentioning his name, but I hope that you help me to add any new information to this event
Many thanks to the current efforts of the Faculty of Archeology and Tourism represented by the Dean of the College Dr. Nada Al-Rawabdeh and the faculty members, staff and students in the college to maintain this achievement and work to develop it
On May 22, 2008, work on the renovation of the Museum of Antiquities and Folklore was completed, and Prof. Dr. Salah Jarrar, Vice President of Humanitarian Colleges and a representative of Prof. Dr. Khaled Karaki, President of the University, opened the museums. Below are pictures of the opening, which was attended by more than 500 people and ended with a dinner party And a display of the traditional Jordanian dresses and the Dabke link from the university choir, and Professor Ayman Tayseer played and sang a Sufi musical piece on the oud at the end of the ceremony
Thanks to the photographers (Muhammad Tarzi and Muhammad Adi)