1 INTRODUCTION

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is just a two-hundred-thousand-year journey through the history of humankind. More than a country, Jordan is one of the world’s epic stories.

The smoke of Bedouin campfires has drifted into the Arabian nights for over nine millennia. Prophets wandered these mountains and deserts, receiving visions that shaped three of the world’s great faiths. Greek, Roman, Crusader and Arab armies have thundered across these sandy plains, leaving their mark at thousands of archaeological sites, and in every fiber of Jordan’s cultural DNA.

This rich overlapped history shaped the substantial Jordanian culture. A foremost part of this culture is handmade crafts. Jordan's tradition of handicrafts is impressive and rich in history. Jordan has been impacted by numerous ancient civilizations over the years. Major prehistoric trade routes that were established more than 5,000 years ago cross Jordan from north to south, and they were also used as main and crucial routes along the Silk Road, facilitating the exchange of information, culture, art, and religion between the major civilizational centers of Europe, Africa, and Asia.

This crafts village creates an extraordinary opportunity to experience and learn several carefully selected crafts, to create deeper and better experience of the Jordanian culture, with a distinctive special experience that reflects the spirit of the traditional architecture in Jordan.

1.1 What is the project

Arabella Craft Village is a complex that represent the rooter Jordanian culture, through various activities that evolve around visitor contribution rather that show the culture as a display item. This contribution ensures a better experience and understanding of Jordanian culture and crafts to both visitors from local community and tourists.

1.2 Significance of the project

The project will provide a true cultural experience by the contribution of visitors in the activities around the village (food making, traditional crafts, and Jordanian folklore shows). It is intended to be a “must visit" tourist destination. Alongside being an economical support for both local community and the project itself (running cost).

1.3 Local need of the project

The Jordanian culture is an extremely rich culture; however, it is not well known as it should be, especially with the technological development that comparatively led to lack of awareness of the tradition culture among locals rather than foreign tourists. This village gives a chance to revive the traditional Jordanian culture and practice many aspects of it as old times.

The project will be an incubator for local made products, a safe place for women and producing families to sell their goods (pickles, pastries, spices, soap, jewelry, etc.) which provides financial support to the local community.

1.4 Location of the project

The project will be located in Irbid, Jordan. This location was selected due to the lack of cultural and community facilities in Irbid, although the city is very important for tourism.

Another main factor of selecting Irbid city is the towns and villages in the Irbid Governorate. With a large number of villages around it, estimated at approximately “499” villages and towns. (Wikipedia 2023)

This special factor makes the city a very special location for convergence of people from different villages, in a unique contrast between the common culture between those villages and the variation among them. This contrast made Irbid city The capital of Arab culture for the year 2022.

1.5 The main units of the project

The project contains many activities, that can be recapitulated as:

1.5.1.1 Interactive crafts zone

This zone provides visitors and tourists with a distinctive range of culturally based craftrelated activities and programs. It is promoted as a must-visit tourist attraction. Visitors will learn about Jordanian culture and handicraft in this village through craft demonstrations and interactive hands-on activities.

1.5.2 The Bazaar

The Bazaar will provide an economical benefit for the project itself, for maintenance purposes, as well as financial support for local community members by providing a chance to sell local products (food, crafts, agricultural goods, etc..).

Another main purpose for the commercial pavilion is to be an opportunity where seasonal agricultural festivals could take a place in.

1.5.3 The Exhibitions

A series of exhibitions that show the Jordanian culture and history, as well as shoeing the growth of Jordanian crafts. The exhibitions’ extensive collection of handcraft goods and artifacts is on exhibit, and it is based on long-standing Jordanian craft traditions. The Craft Gallery's core principle is education, and it emphasizes Jordan's craft heritage and regional handcraft production methods.

1.5.4 The Shows Area

This area includes indoor and outdoor shows area with a main outdoor amphitheater which could be used for seasonal festivals, folklore shows, and natural shaded seating area.

1.6 Goals and Objectives

The project has a group of goals which all contribute to achieve The Meta Goal which is: “To be an attraction point for various group of users to experience the real Jordanian culture”.

 financial support for local community by selling local-made products.

 sequence of interactive crafts station to encourage users’ involvement.

 cultural influenced design in a modern way, to reflect cultural spirit.

 connected functions to the existing cultural center with more outdoor experience.

1.7 Vision

Give full Jordanian cultural experience through practicing and learning traditional crafts, alongside other recreational facilities introducing Jordanian culture. this project is an extension to the surrounding buildings (Cultural center, youth house, and training school) to enrich the cultural experience.

1.8 Methodology

The methodology of this thesis book is a combination of two research methods which are literature review and observation.

Literature review was basically for the philosophic aspect of the design that includes sustainability and resilient techniques in include in the design, as well as case study stage where similar projects were studied and analyzed from different aspects.

Observation research was used for site selection and analysis, which was based on a series of site visits and criteria to proceed with the analysis and design.

Finally, identifying the main guidelines and program to come up with concept and further details of the architectural project.