A workshop Saturday tackled promotion of the Incense Trade Route, an ancient network of major land and sea trading routes linking the Mediterranean with eastern and southern regions, as a heritage product in Jordan. Organized by the Hashemite University (HU) and Al Albayt University, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Scientific Research and Innovation Support Fund, the gathering explored strategies to economically invest in the Incense Trade Route and include it in global and local heritage lists. Dean of Queen Rania Faculty of Tourism and Heritage at HU Firas Alawneh underscored the outcomes and future cooperation prospects with similar international concepts of the project, which documents a segment of the network passing through Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. The project's segment passes by several stations and markets, such as the ancient city of Petra, Umm el-Jimal, and Bier (well) Mathkour. Muhannad Tarrad, a Professor of Architecture at Al Albayt University, discussed the various opportunities to showcase the project and preserve the architectural remnants. He emphasized the significance of architectural drawings in documenting and perpetuating the design for generations to come. During his presentation, Dr. Mahmoud Abdel Aziz of Al Albayt University discussed the indications of human habitation on both sides of the route throughout history, pointing to ongoing documentation of its historical paths and the anthropological reality around it. The project's documentation, studies, comparisons, methodologies, and databases are ready, according to Prof. Mohammad Waheeb, Dean of Tourism at HU. During the workshop, the attendees suggested forging ahead with the project's second phase, introducing pamphlets and articles to promote it as well as a documentary film to showcase its economic benefits and impact on development in the southern region of the Kingdom.
Source: Jordan News Agency