Ammon News - This week, the Century Park Hotel in Amman hosted Building a Legacy: Best Practices in Architectural Conservation and Construction Techniques, a landmark event that brought together leading Italian and Jordanian experts, institutions, and companies.

The workshop was organized by Sela for Training and Protection of Heritage in partnership with the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority (PDTRA).

The event forms part of the broader initiative Jordanian Archaeology as a Sustainable Industry (JASI), supported by the Drosos Foundation and PDTRA. It highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and dialogue between the cultural heritage conservation and construction industries to safeguard Jordan’s built heritage.

The morning session featured high-level presentations from both Jordanian and Italian professionals, including:

● Dr. Rami Daher (Turath), who delivered the keynote address
● CESF – Perugia/Amman, on training and safety in heritage conservation
● Tosti Associati, presenting integrated architectural approaches to conservation
● Polygon Center, showcasing advanced rope access techniques for monument restoration

The afternoon session ignited a lively discussion on the intersections and divergences between conservation practices and the modern construction industry in Jordan. Attendees included representatives from Kimia S.p.A., an Italian leading company specialized in high-performance solutions for building restoration, structural consolidation, and architectural heritage conservation, El. En.

Electronic Engineering S.p.A., specialized in laser systems for the conservation and cleaning of cultural heritage, the Jordanian Engineers Association, Jordanian construction firms, national and international academic institutions and organizations.

A notable highlight was the recognition of the winning student project from a national heritage conservation competition launched by Sela in 2024. The award celebrated the creativity and technical skill of emerging Jordanian talent contributing innovative solutions to preserve the country’s archaeological legacy.

The event concluded with a vibrant networking and exhibition session, where participating companies from Italy and Jordan showcased their products, technologies, and case studies to key stakeholders and decision-makers.

This Amman-based forum launched a four-day workshop, which continues in Petra, offering local professionals hands-on training in advanced conservation techniques and contributing to long-term capacity building in heritage preservation across Jordan.