About

Friends of Archaeology and Heritage

The Friends of Archaeology and Heritage (FoAH) society was founded in 1958 by a group of specialists in archaeology, most notably Dr. Awni Dajani, director of the Department of Antiquities at that time, Fouad Atallah, Fouad Aqla, Mrs. Widad Kawar, Dr. Rauf Abu Jaber and Abdul Fattah al-Bustani , Adnan Hadidi , Ghazi Bisha, Maawiya Ibrahim, Fawzi Ziadin and Gazi Saudi. They were later joined by Rami Khoury and Lynn Fakhoury.

Foreign supporters included  Dr. William Green and Mr. McCreery, diplomats and ambassadors including Dean Brown, Thomas Pickering and Father Petrcello who were instrumental in raising awareness among citizens about Jordan's rich and ancient heritage.

In the 1990s, the Society was honored to receive Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah's Honorary Presidency. The Association of Friends of Antiquities published its first constitution in 1962 and worked through the Department of Antiquities until September 1990. It was officially registered in the Ministry of the Interior in accordance with the laws of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. 

The association works with the local community, in urban, sub-urban, agrarian and nomadic groups, to educate the citizens, especially those who live in the proximity of an archaeological site  to appreciate, preserve and possibly contribute to the field of tourist services.

Vision

FoAH is a voluntary non-governmental, non-profit organization that promotes greater understanding of archaeology and the importance of preservation and conservation of our national heritage by introducing members and guests to various issues related to archaeology and heritage. This is achieved by organizing field trips to archaeological and cultural sites inside and outside Jordan, in addition to hosting lectures related to this sector in both Arabic and English, presented by professors and experts in these fields. FoAH continues to advocate for the protection of cultural resources by acting as a “monitor” in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Department of Antiquities.

Mission

Protect and preserve the archaeological and heritage resources of Jordan through a set of activities and programs directed towards the members of the FOAH and school kids and kids visiting King Hussein Park and their parents.

Roles

Friends of Archaeology and Heritage will:

  • Contribute to the protection and preservation of archaeological sites in cooperation with competent Jordanian authorities and regional and international bodies.
  • Contribute to the restoration of archaeological sites in Jordan and support archaeological excavations in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities and Municipalities and the competent authorities.
  • Contribute to the establishment of specialized lectures, publishing books, researches and publications that deal with archaeology and heritage works and encourage and support these works.
  • Protect the archaeological areas from urban expansion by declaring some of these areas a national reserve that can not be tampered with or change its nature with the approval of the General Antiquities Department and the competent authorities.
  • Organize visits to archaeological sites to acquaint citizens and foreigners with the cultural and human heritage in Jordan.
  • Educating citizens and the emerging generation of the importance of Jordanian monuments and the need to preserve them and protect them and involve them in this process.
  • Enable members to contribute to archaeological excavations on a voluntary basis in coordination with the Department of Antiquities and Archaeological Missions in Jordan.
  • Organizing lectures by specialists and scholars in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities, schools and archaeological missions operating in Jordan.
  • Implementation of various projects related to the definition of Jordan's cultural heritage or the protection of archaeological sites and heritage in cooperation with the concerned authorities

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