European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 28, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Jordan Amman struggles to Cope with Over expansion Amman is trying to Cope with its growth but the expansion is haphazard at Jed by Laney Salisbury United press International ten years ago Han Malhas used to listen to the Rush of wheat Ripple across the Plains of this biblical capital of Amman Jordan. Now the Plains rumble with the sound of Cement trucks and bulldozers As builders Scurry to meet the demand in one of the world s fastest growing cities. Quot our House used to be in the Countryside. Now we Are practically in the Middle of the City Quot said Malhas 62, a retired electrical repair shop owner. From one traffic Circle to eight from seven Hills to 19 from a Dusty Village to a sprawling Limestone City of 1.5 million people Amman has grown to the unsteady beat of the Middle East. Malhas saw it coming and took advantage of it. What used to be his backyard now houses a nondescript three Story Limestone apartment building of which he is the landlord. It replaced his vegetable plot Small Vineyard and Grove of Fig Trees. But As the capital expands a West across precious agricultural land and East across desert a it is ignoring its 3,000-year-old Center. Jordanians continue to flee the Valley downtown where they once shopped in souks and watched plays in a 2,000-year-old roman Amphitheater. They prefer the self contained los Angeles style suburbs and Western fast food restaurants along Amman s Breezy knolls. Quot i m not against development but i am against forgetting what already exists Quot said University of Jordan architect Taleb Rifai head of a movement to renovate downtown Homes Quot Fly ignoring the Center we Are ignoring our history not Only roman history but Jordan s recent Amman a then called Philadelphia a was incorporated into the roman Empire in 63 . And quickly became an International trading Center. But its rapid expansion did not come until after world War ii. Two Arab israeli wars made Amman Home to hundreds of thousands of dispossessed palestinians. In May 1948, the capital s population doubled in two weeks to 133,500, following the creation of Israel. After Israel captured the jordanian ruled West Bank in 1967, sending another exodus of palestinians across the River Jordan Amman steadily grew from about 300,000 to 788,000 in the next decade the persian Gulf War prompted yet another population Boom. Since Iraq s August 1990 invasion of Kuwait some 350,000 jordanian and palestinian expatriates have returned from Gulf countries Many of them settling in Amman. Amman is trying to Cope but the expansion is haphazard at Best. Since March 1992, municipal authorities have issued More than double the number of construction licenses processed the previous year. About 8,300 More buildings Are set to Rise covering 93,000 acres of land. Quot nobody cares How the buildings look or How they Are being built. Contractors Are in a hurry a construction is a Good business Quot said Faisal at Marl a technical expert at Jordan engineers association which approves licenses. Worse the Rush to build has fuelled the decay of downtown the heart of the ammonite capital that was stormed in 1000 . By King David when he sent Uriah the hittite to his death and took his Beautiful wife Bathsheba. Of the 110 historic Homes mapped by. Architect Rifai in 1983, Only 43 remain. The rest were victimized by Laws that allow buildings More than 30 years old to be easily demolished. The 1986 demolition Laws were established partly to allow owners to raise rents which by Law Are Frozen once a tenant moves in. The mostly two Story buildings that. Remain Are soot streaked and Sag with age. The narrow winding streets Are clogged with taxis and Pushcart and litter from a nearby produce Market. Quot All eyes Are on the suburbs and none is paying attention to the negligence of downtown Quot Rifai said. Homes once owned by the first circassian syrian and palestinian immigrants who settled in Amman Are crumbling. In Basman Street the Damascus style Home of Hairo saudi the first syrian family to arrive in Amman in the 1890s, is near collapse. Quot it s a shame to see the roof Cave in Quot said Ghazzi saudi a financial consultant who is Hairo s great grandson. Quot one Day i will renovate but his dreams Are hampered by Lack of time and disputes with family members who want to sell the property. Near the top of the Low lying Hill of Jebel Amman the Homes of the Bilbeisi a pioneering business family still stand with ancient Grace. Once rest slops for Kings sheikhs and Arab leaders they Loo Are threatened by High expenses a Lack of government help and inheritance squabbles. Throughout downtown the hand painted tiles originating from the West Bank City of Nablus in the 1930s and 40s Are fading. The stairways leading up from the grime of the Center to the Broad streets on the Hills Are decaying into narrow alleyways. The biggest blow came in 1979 when the Philadelphia hotel Headquarters of King Abdullah was demolished for a town Square which is rarely used downtown is the traditional Middle East where Aromas of spices spilling Hont sacks mix with roasting Corn and cardamom scented Coffee brewing Over coals. It s where merchants in White Robes and women in veils sell Gold embroidery and heavy arabic desserts. But with the worsening traffic snarls pollution neglect Ami the flight of government ministries to new neighbourhoods few now take the paths trodden by the first Century roman conquerors. T Only go downtown to boy things that i can t find in the boutiques in Western Amman Quot said Kanda Akkawi in kindergarten teacher Quot sometimes i can t Ever get a taxi to take me there a but for Rifal. Fighting for Amman s son i i Worth the Battle Quot this is our history the history of Jordan the history of the Middle cast Quot he said. Quot we can t turn Oil barks on this ancient theater could accommodate 4,000. Modern jordanians prefer the los Angeles style suburbs of Amman. January 2r, in h stil Tes Tagat be 7
