Qusayr 'Amra
Qusayr ‘Amra is a bathhouse located in the eastern badiya (steppe) of Jordan. Built by the Umayyad prince Walid ibn Yazid sometime between 730 CE and 743 CE, the year when he became caliph. WMF has worked with partners to assess, document, and conserve Qusayr ‘Amra and its decorative features.
| Qusayr ‘Amra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 and was included on the 2008 World Monuments Watch. Since then, WMF has worked in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities of Jordan and the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro of Rome to conserve the building. It is part of a larger complex that includes a qasr (palace), a watchtower, and complex hydraulic systems, as well as structures yet to be excavated. The interior is decorated with an extensive unique cycle of mural paintings that are heavily influenced by Sasanian art and iconography. The work has included the production of a Site Management Plan that was provided to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It addresses site conservation and strategies for the long-term conservation and enhancement including maintaining its authenticity and integrity. To date, we have consolidated the exterior of the monument and conserved more than a third of the mural paintings in the main hall, as well as those contained in the first room of the baths. These conservation works on the site’s exemplary wall paintings have revealed previously unknown details and inscriptions, which are changing our understanding of late antique and early Islamic art. |
Project Details
Location: Jordan, Middle East, Asia
Organiser(s):
World Monuments Fund, Department of Antiquities of Jordan, Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro
Funder(s):
Italian Ministry of Culture, Spanish Cooperation
Funding received: Undisclosed
Commencement Date: 01/2008
Project Status: Active
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