Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II on Monday paid a surprise visit to the Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration, where he was briefed on its programmes that enable graduates to secure job opportunities.

Crown Prince Al Hussein joined some of the institute’s students in making a mosaic art piece, and toured the facilities of the centre, the only one in the region that offers a diploma on mosaic art and restoration accredited by Balqa Applied University.

His Royal Highness toured an exhibition of heritage products by the institute’s students, who showed the Crown Prince how they restore mosaic pieces.

During the visit to the Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration, established in 2007, His Royal Highness stressed its important role in conserving Jordan’s mosaic heritage, noting how its programmes enable young Jordanians to compete in the labour market.

The institute offers 50 annual scholarships to residents of Madaba, which has been home to mosaics for over 1500 years, and 25 others to residents of other governorates, in cooperation with the Employment-Technical and Vocational Education and Training Fund affiliated with the Ministry of Labour.

The Crown Prince commended the professionalism of students and graduates in restoring and producing mosaic pieces.

His Royal Highness also visited Hippolytus Hall in Madaba, which is adorned with mosaics and features artefacts from the Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad and other eras.