Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Highlighting the site’s cultural and historic significance, U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells visited Umm Al JimalArchaelological Site near Mafraq to celebrate the completion of preservation of Houses XVII and XVIII (two of the largest of 150 homes from the fifth and sixth centuries AD). Appealing to domestic and foreign tourists alike, Ambassador Wells expressed her hope that Umm Al Jimal becomes a well-traveled tourist destination like its neighbor to the North, Umm Qais. “From what I’ve seen today, Umm Al-Jimal has the potential to drive tourist traffic to this area and enrich the livelihoods of this community. We hope the promise of this wonderful site is realized.”

The preservation project was funded by a grant from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) to Calvin College and Open Hand studios in cooperation with the Department of Antiquities.

Since 2001, AFCP has supported more than 800 projects to preserve cultural heritage in more than 120 countries—an achievement representing contributions of more than $46 million towards cultural heritage preservation needs around the globe..