First EU culture week kicks off in Jordan

AMMAN —  Cultural heritage is not only a legacy from the past but also a resource for our future, and it is a way to remember and be reminded that our histories and humanity do intersect, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Lina Annab said on Thursday.  

During the opening ceremony of the first Heritage Days in Jordan that was held at Amman Citadel, the Jordanian official said culture and heritage are bridges that we have built between ourselves and among us. 

“It is definitely the shared values that keep us close to one and another that keep deepening our relations,” she told attendees.   

Heritage Days in Jordan is a 10-day long event designed to increase visibility of Jordanian historical sites and help the local population develop its capacities to promote and protect their cultural heritage as well as improve their employability, according to the EU National Institute for Culture’s (EUNIC) website. 

Antonio Lazaro, EUNIC president, said that under the umbrella of this event, a wide range of activities will take place not only in Amman but also in a number of governorates.  

“We are so glad to cooperate with the ministry of tourism this time we are organising the first heritage days in Jordan and we hope that it will become an annual event,” he added.  

Andrea Matteo Fontana, ambassador of the European Union to Jordan, said heritage days will be celebrated for the first time in Jordan, adding that many of the old civilisations lived in Jordan such as the Romans, Byzantines and the Umayyads, and all of them left their eternal traces as the Arab civilisations left their traces in Europe. 

“We share the same history, culture and values,” he added. 

He noted that the event is held in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board and European embassies in Jordan. 

It also comes as part of celebrations for the European Year of Cultural Heritage. 

The project will include showcasing of unknown Jordanian historical sites, trainings and workshops with European and Jordanian experts for the local population and awareness programmes through drama to help locals better understand their heritage sites and develop tools to protect and promote them, according to EUNIC.

The project will also encourage new Jordanian landmarks to be added to the touristic map of Jordan, with a view to boost tourism in the country.     

 “I love the fact it is not only held in Amman but also spread all over the Kingdom and this shows the depth of culture and heritage we have here in Jordan,” Annab said. 

The event officially started on Friday and will wrap up on October 13.