Jordanian Masterpieces Revealed: An International Workshop Presents Recent Conservation Work and Discoveries at Qusayr 'Amra World Heritage Site in Jordan

Experts from around the world are meeting today and tomorrow, 14 and 15 March, at the premises of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, to discuss the ongoing international conservation project at the World Heritage Site of Qusayr ’Amra and the outstanding progress this project has achieved so far.

Located approximately 85 kilometers east of Amman, Qusayr ’Amra is a small bathhouse built in the early eighth century during the Umayyad Caliphate and represents the principal remain of a larger Umayyad desert residence. The interiors of the main building are entirely covered with mural paintings, a rare surviving expression of Islamic Umayyad art. Because of its artistic and architectural features, in 1985 Qusayr ’Amra was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an exceptional testimony of Umayyad civilization and figurative art. In 2008, Qusayr ’Amra was included on the World Monuments Watch to call attention to the importance of the site and its conservation needs.