This written interview is part of a new series on Insights: “Ask A Scholar,” through which we highlight the personal experiences of fellows and other affiliated researchers. The following conversation with Nedhal Jarrar (ACOR Jordanian Graduate Student Scholarship recipient, 2020–2021) took place by email in February 2021.

Thank you for joining us on Insights! You just completed your master’s degree in architectural conservation. Can you tell our readers a bit more about your background, and what led to your interest in this field?

As a brief introduction, I’m a Jordanian architect and researcher. I received my master’s degree in architectural conservation from the German Jordanian University in 2020 after my bachelor’s in architectural engineering from the Applied Science University in Amman in 2010.

I have had professional opportunities over nine years of practical architectural experience, including design, restoration, and maintenance projects. I also taught for a brief period. Furthermore, I participated in a UNESCO program for heritage preservation in Petra. I chose to specialize in a particular branch of architecture, modern industrial heritage, concentrating on the preservation of modern industrial buildings in the Arab region, Jordan in particular. At present I am preparing a research paper on this topic.

My interest in architecture and tangible and intangible heritage began long ago. About fifteen years ago, I became passionate about documenting heritage landmarks in Jordan and the region using digital methods, especially free knowledge initiatives such as Wikipedia (and its sister projects). I started by becoming a Wikipedia editor, and later an administrator, for the Arabic side of the encyclopedia. My contributions centered on architectural, historical, and geopolitical topics related to documentation of written and visual memory in the region. Examples include articles on architecture of Palestine, tourism in Jordan, and hundreds of other articles in Arabic and in English. I have also coordinated one of the world’s largest photo contests—“Wiki Loves Monuments”—regionally for the Levant, focused primarily on global cultural heritage. Most recently, my experience in open-access knowledge has also included engagement with the Open Jordanian Heritage initiative organized jointly by ACOR, Wikimedia Levant, and the Jordan Open Source Association. I have given presentations to the initiative’s edit-a-thon participants about Jordanian heritage documentation through a number of online platforms. Many people took part, all of them heritage enthusiasts. 

My specific field of expertise, architectural conservation, includes study of renovation, preservation, adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. I have always been motivated to continue my learning, expanding my personal knowledge in areas I consider important. I think heritage conservation must be placed higher on national priority lists. At the same time, “heritage” itself needs to have an appropriate definition and approaches for future generations.

Finally, my professional associations today are deeply connected with this field of study. I work in restoration materials and construction chemicals between Baghdad and Amman.

Tell us more about your thesis project!

Although industrial heritage is considered to be an important part of modern global heritage, the subject faces continued marginalization in the Arab world, including in Jordan. Resulting from a lack of clear and inclusive definitions of cultural heritage, a number of industrial heritage sites have not received protection, nor have they been addressed by scholarly research. Thus, most of these sites, built in the 20^th century, have been disappearing little by little or even been marked explicitly for demolition. 

In my thesis, I undertook a detailed study of Jordan’s modern industrial heritage, beginning with its historical emergence. The concept of modern industrial heritage is closely linked to the Arab Renaissance (the Nahda) of the late 19th and early 20th century and the period of early state-building in the region. My thesis analyzed a rare example of this kind of heritage: the Rutenberg Hydropower Plant in Baqoura, in northern Jordan. I set up a comparison between the plant and another national example of industrial heritage, the Electrical Hangar located in downtown Amman. I also looked at other similar local examples in order to more deeply demonstrate the connections between such facilities and Jordanian state-building, broadly conceived. Throughout the project, I gained a deeper understanding of Jordan’s modern industrial heritage through a variety of research methodologies, including archival research, textual analysis (especially focused on the impact of manufacturing on development projects in the region), and general field surveys for a number of sites that are arguably representative of Jordanian industrial heritage (see images in inset). I synthesized a national case study and comparative analysis.

In addition, my research evaluated the study site with a brief and informal administrative plan for preservation, with the goal of paving the way for future preservation decisions for this and other industrial heritage sites in the country. This could even serve as preparation for detailed design for the site following possible renovation.

This study presents a different approach to understanding Jordan’s modern industrial heritage. Such heritage is important not just for its historical, architectural, and geopolitical value, but for its meanings in relation to preliminary periods of modern state-building projects in the Kingdom’s history. Therefore, the study calls for incorporation of these sites into the scope of “national heritage” and for putting the spotlight on modern industrial heritage as a means of motivating people’s sense of place, memory, and national identity. Links were made between theoretical frames of study and preservation, on the one hand, and experimental results, on the other. Put plainly, the study seeks to raise awareness about the meaning, essence, and value of modern industrial heritage, representing an era that was short lived in Jordan and the region. Moreover, this awareness must be developed not just among the public, generally speaking, but specifically among policymakers and institutions, public and private.

In your fellowship report, you write about “the plurality and diversity of modern industrial heritage” in Jordan. Can you summarize what you mean by this for our readers?

The buildings and sites in Jordan one might classify as “modern industrial heritage” are relatively few. However, they are nonetheless diverse and important in their historical, symbolic, structural, architectural, and sociocultural value. Jordan’s modern industrial heritage includes dams, power plants, train stations, bridges, grain silos, historic factories, water channels, and more. All of these bore witness to the founding period of the Jordanian state. Most of the sites and structures were erected in the 1960s and ’70s, which was an era of expansion and growth. They are concentrated in the northernmost parts of the kingdom.

On a personal level, do you have favorite examples of adaptive reuse of heritage structures?

Around the world, there are a great many remarkable examples of adaptive reuse of heritage sites, including industrial sites. Built during Ottoman rule, the Silahtarağa power plant in Istanbul experienced a sustained period of dereliction and decay before being converted into the SantralIstanbul, one of the city’s most important cultural centers. We could also take up European examples, such as in Denmark, Germany, and Britain, as these nations were pioneers in industrial heritage conservation, pursuing reuse, rather than demolition and dismantlement. In Copenhagen, for example, grain mills have been converted to residential apartments, and an old heavy-fuel power plant is today simultaneously a ski resort and a site of clean energy production and waste recycling.

Last but not least, there is the electrical plant of Ras al Ain in Amman and its reuse as an open cultural center. This is among the most important local examples of adaptive reuse of industrial heritage, in my opinion. Furthermore, it stands out in the region. Renovations to the site showed respect for its original building elements while distinguishing between them and recent additions. I am honored that the director of that work, Dr. Rami Daher of Turath Consultants, was my thesis adviser for my master’s degree. He is one of the biggest influences on my professional life.

In the time of COVID, most of us are getting out and about less often, although, on the flip side, we may be getting to know our own immediate neighborhoods a lot more (due to restricted travel). Do you have suggestions for how readers can continue to explore Jordan’s diverse built heritage during the time of COVID? 

Unfortunately, the current pandemic and its associated lockdowns have greatly restricted the ability of people to visit archaeological and touristic sites in Jordan and the rest of the world. This has motivated us as architects, archaeologists, and heritage and tourism professionals to think outside the box in order to find practical solutions for restoring connections between vast swaths of tourists and enthusiasts and various touristic and architectural attractions. One such solution is virtual reality, technology that a number of regional institutions have already begun to work with. The Jordan Tourism Board, for example, began disseminating VR experiences to promote virtual tourism to a number of the kingdom’s heritage sites as a way to make up for the distinct lack of visitors.

From another angle, I work currently on a project to link archaeological sites in an effective manner with their representation on Wikipedia. Smart devices can empower visitors to access detailed information in a simple yet interactive way.

We, as members of the local society, including formal institutions and organizations, are called upon to come together for sake of preserving our cultural inheritance. We must work together to promote visitation to archaeological and heritage sites by reconsidering traditional methods of addressing them. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nedhal Jarrar is an architect who specializes in industrial heritage in Jordan and the Arab region. He is a member of the International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH) and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Jordan. He received a master’s degree in architectural conservation from the German Jordanian University; his thesis was titled “Reconceptualizing Jordan’s Industrial and Architectural Heritage of Modernity: Rutenberg Power Plant in Baqoura.” His professional experience in architecture includes design, renovation, and maintenance projects as well as participation in a UNESCO heritage project in Petra. He also taught for a brief period. He has received a number of scholarships throughout his career, including the Jordanian Graduate Student Scholarship from ACOR for the 2019–2020 academic year. He also received an academic research grant from the German Jordanian University to test concrete samples from the reclaimed study site of Baqoura in northern Jordan. He is among the founders of Wikimedia Levant, a non-profit organization active in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria that aspires to promote free knowledge through Wikipedia and other Wikiprojects, in which his interests concentrate on documentation of cultural heritage in the region and support for Arabic-language and online content on this subject. He is a reviewer, administrator, and editor on Wikipedia and has made thousands of contributions and edits on the open encyclopedia.

Suggested further reading:

“Jordanian and Syrian youth get serious about cultural heritage preservation.” UNESCO. July 31, 2019.

Jarrar, Nedhal. “Jordan – A Struggle Against Privatization and Neoliberalism.” International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage Bulletin 91, 2021.

Jarrar’s thesis, “Reconceptualizing Jordan’s Industrial and Architectural Heritage of Modernity: Rutenberg Power Plant in Baqoura,” is available for public reading at the ACOR Library.

The post Ask a Scholar: Nedhal Jarrar appeared first on ACOR Jordan.

Articles on wikipedia.org—about any number of subjects, and in several hundred languages—are compiled by volunteers. Quite literally anyone with a device and an internet connection has the ability to edit existing articles (by adding information or formal citations, for example) and can even create new ones. Over the past year, ACOR has had opportunities to engage a community of volunteer “Wikimedians” keen to contribute to open knowledge about cultural heritage in Jordan. In collaboration with colleagues at the Jordan Open Source Association and Wikimedia Levant, we held three dedicated “edit-a-thon” events, including workshops in October 2019, February 2020, and in virtual form this June. ACOR also hosted two “Wikimedians in Residence” as formal community volunteers who were based out of the ACOR Library from January to June 2020. 

Though our Wiki involvement began before the outbreak of COVID-19, pandemic conditions further underscored the importance of provisioning academic resources online. ACOR’s community of Wikimedians, both novices participating for the very first time through one of our edit-a-thon events and seasoned ACOR Library and Wikipedia users offering rich and diverse editing experiences, are bonded by a common passion for Jordanian culture and history. These writers, translators, researchers, and editors have contributed to more than 75 articles thus far in 2020, adding a total of 36,000 words—far beyond our original team’s goal of adding 20,000 words for the entire calendar year! These numbers continue to rise today.

Below are five stories from participating Wikimedians, each explaining how they got involved, what they have achieved, and what they have learned about themselves—and Jordanian heritage—in the process.

“I pursued Wikimedia editing with ACOR as a means to produce topical translations from Arabic to English and stay sharp in my capacity for in-depth research. Following my time as a Wikimedian in Residence, I now count translation as one of my hobbies. The experience has inspired me to pick up written translation as a side job while I attend graduate school in the United States. I value the part I got to play in the overall goal of the Wikipedia community, namely producing neutral, encyclopedic knowledge, and liberating it to the realm of open access. I was also grateful for the chance to learn about archaeology from the experts, and I enjoyed the opportunity to plan edit-a-thons and to develop anthropological knowledge. I hope to use this experience as a springboard to continue sharing Wiki skills with my community. I am excited to continue the tricky work of nuanced translation that I was exposed to at ACOR.”

–Neal Feldman, Wikimedian in Residence at ACOR, spring 2020; master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Arizona; fellow at the Center for Arabic Study Abroad

“I hold a deep belief that it is the right of all people around the world to have free, unrestricted access to knowledge. That has been my main motivation for participation in Wikipedia, ‘the global encyclopedia.’ In order to build aware, cultured, strong societies, we need to increase the number of readers, learners, and writers. [On Wikipedia,] [t]his goes beyond the process of writing itself; it requires selecting reliable, trust-worthy resources with which to feed our minds and ways of thinking. During my internship, I saw such qualities in ACOR’s varied resources, which included photographs, newsletters, articles, and academic reports. I think these are useful and suitable for people at various levels, from expert researchers to local communities seeking specific information or images. My experience as a Wikimedian at ACOR will be memorable for me and has had an impact on my personal and professional development; it enriched my knowledge and expanded my horizons.”

–Areen Abu Rumman, Wikimedian in Residence at ACOR, spring 2020; bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Hashemite University

“I can safely say the Open Jordanian Heritage edit-a-thon was the highlight of my COVID-19 quarantine! Beyond my personal fascination with the topic of my Wiki article (the Nabataean temple complex of Khirbet edh Dharih), I’ve always wanted to figure out how to write and edit a Wikipedia page, but I’ve never had the time. I think another motivation was the idea that I could create content—it’s a very empowering feeling, and with [Black Lives Matter] protests going in the U.S. in the background, and overall calls for re-examining the past, decolonizing history, telling marginalized histories, and so on, this seemed like perfect timing. As a teacher, I teach history and world religions at an [International Baccalaureate] school in Amman, and I would really like to apply what I learned from this initiative and get my students to write for Wikipedia themselves. The IB program promotes inquiry learning, and so we teach students how to learn, how to find answers to their questions. A Wikipedia article is a great way to share one’s research and encompasses research and writing skills that I can teach and assess. In the future, I would like to hold a school-based edit-a-thon covering subjects students are exploring in the curriculum related to Jordan and the region. We do a unit on Arab women in grade 10, for example, which could be a chance to fill out Wikipedia articles on Arab feminists, past and present!”

–Kariman Mango, K–12 history teacher at the Ahliyya School for Girls

“It was inspiring to be part of this edit-a-thon, knowing that I was working along with a team of people around the world who are intent on providing accurate, accessible information about Jordan’s multi-layered heritage. Access to knowledge is an important issue in our information age, and I am excited by the growing movement to provide everyone with the ability to learn about Jordan in both English and Arabic. Participating in the edit-a-thon was also a chance to learn for myself—translating Wikipedia articles from Arabic to English introduced me to a whole new set of Jordanian heritage sites. With a tremendous history like that of Jordan, one could spend a lifetime working on content for Wikipedia!”

–Ruth Folmar, research intern at ACOR, summer 2020; bachelor’s degree in history and Middle Eastern languages and culture

“I had just completed my first year as an undergraduate when I read an article about medical students in a California university who were tasked to edit Wikipedia and graded on their efforts. I was struck by how simple the assignment was and the positive impact it could have, considering that Wikipedia is a primary place people seek out information, even medical information. I wrote an email to my course director proposing a similar assignment for incoming first-year students in my department, and he welcomed the idea, so I put together a course assignment. I sought support from Wikimedia UK, the local branch of the Wikimedia Foundation (analogous to Wikimedia Levant here in Jordan); I was new to the Wiki world at the time, and I knew I was standing on the shoulders of giants! [Because I grew] up in a family of booksellers, access to knowledge had been the easiest thing—I spoiled my bookshelves with textbooks (mostly Larousse), never facing a roadblock. It was only at university that I came up against paywalls and obstacles to overcome. As I was devising the Wikipedia assignment for first-years, I also started volunteering and training to produce articles more generally. Suddenly I found myself taking part in the wonderful world of open knowledge advocacy and meeting all kinds of Wikipedians, from a photographer who had uploaded over 70,000 photographs of Mexico’s natural and built landscapes [1] [2] [3] to “Wikimedians or Wikipedians in Residence” (WiRs). As [I am] a textbook lover, WiRs are my heroes, since they work with GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) on knowledge exchange. When Abbad [Diraneyya] and I started the Open Jordanian Heritage initiative, our aim was to increase the online visibility of archeological and cultural heritage of Jordan. Wikipedia and its sister projects are an ideal space for such an initiative, and we are proud to have supported the first Wikipedian in Residence program at ACOR. This initiative has many directions in which to grow, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what’s next.”

–Raya Sharbain, program coordinator at the Jordan Open Source Association; master’s degree in human-computer interaction from University College London, funded by Chevening UK

To learn more about ACOR Public Programs and our library and archival resources, please visit www.acorjordan.org. You can also follow progress of the Open Jordanian Heritage initiative and related projects via the Jordan Open Source Association and Wikimedia Levant. If you are interested in joining our community of Wikipedia editors, drop us a line at acorjordan.org/contact-us.

As a non-profit, ACOR programs are made possible by the generosity of our donors. Should you wish to help us maintain and expand programming such as this, please consider donating today at www.acorjordan.org/donate.

The post “Open Jordanian Heritage”: Wikimedians Share Stories of Editing Online appeared first on ACOR Jordan.