Official Opening of Um Qais Water Tunnel
Deputizing for his royal highness Prince Al Hassan bin Talal, the chairman of the board of trustees of Yarmouk University Dr. Khaled Al-Omari attended the opening ceremony of the water tunnel in the city of Um Qais (Jadara).
Al-Omari conveyed the greetings of His Royal Highness Prince Al Hassan and expressed his appreciation for the prince's continuous support to the various activities that YU carry out. He added that this project, which is implemented by the Faculty of Archeology, is a proof of YU keenness to support research, pointing that the American embassy has always been a main supporter of the Higher education sector in Jordan. He further stressed the importance of the historical site of Umm Qais, and invited decision makers to give it the proper attention it deserves and to include it in the UNESCO World cultural heritage list. Al-Omari also referred to the excavations, maintenance and renovation works which the faculty of archaeology have carried out in various archeological sites in Jordan, adding that the discovery of the water tunnel in Jadara city enhances sustainable development in Irbid city and in Um Qais archaeological site.
President Dr. Zeidan Kafafi expressed his pride of YU for accomplishing the project in one of the most important archaeological sites in Jordan in cooperation with the Department of Public Antiquities, and with the financial support of the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. He added that many archaeological sites in Jordan are subject to destruction, whether by people searching for treasures or by natural causes and invited all parts to cooperate to protect them. The president also encouraged YU faculty to attract international development projects that benefit the university and the community.
The cultural attaché at the US embassy, Peter Neisuler , stated that the American Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation seeks to protect cultural sites and all forms of traditional cultural expression around the world, pointing out that Jordan has received grants of more than 2 million dollars, since 2001, support 18 projects that aimed at preserving cultural heritage in several areas in Jordan, including Petra, Al-Bayda, Um Jamal, Abella, the Jordan Valley, and downtown Amman, pointing that such archeological sites are proof of the past human civilizations. Neisuler praised the efforts of YU and the Department of Antiques for their efforts in the discovery, maintenance and restoration of heritage sites, which positively reflects on the tourism and economic sectors in Jordan. At the end of his speech, he expressed the pride of the United States for their partnership with Jordan and emphasized on the US intention to continue to support Jordan to develop the tourism sector.
For his part, the project manager, Dr. Ziad Al-Saad, welcomed everybody and thanked them for attending the ceremony. He then stated that the project was part of an integrated plan developed by the Faculty of Archeology as a translation for the YU strategic plan in terms of community responsibility towards preserving the diverse cultural heritage of the archaeological city of Jadara. The plan included doing excavation works, archaeological studies and implementing maintenance, restoration and rehabilitation projects, describing this project as the first fruit of their work. He added that there are other similar projects to be done in other sites in Umm Qais as those that aim at maintaining the Roman Market, the main fountain (Nymphaeum) and the columns street. Al-Saad further stated that the choice of Jadara Tunnel to be the first project stems from its historical and technical importance, especially that it is part of an integrated water system that enabled dragging fresh water from distant places (up to 170 km) through mountains and valleys using only the power of gravity, making this site a proof of the architectural genuineness and creativity of the Roman period. The tunnel, he added, is 94 km long and is considered as the longest ancient water tunnel in the world, which is considered as an addition to the diversity of Jordan's cultural heritage.
The project team included Dr. Mustafa Al-Nadaf, Dr. Ahmed Abubakar, Dr. Abdul Rahim Ahmed, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Serugi, Dr. Wasef Alsakhaineh, Dr. Sahar Khasawneh, engineer Fandi Al-Wakid, Mohammed Jaradat, Musa Al-Sarbel, Muwafaq Al-Bataineh, Hussein Dibaja, and Mohamed Rababba'.
The opening ceremony included a tour in the water tunnel during in which attendees got to know the stages of rehabilitation and renovation of the tunnel.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Dr. Fawwaz Al-Abed Al-Haq Abdel Haq, dean of the Faculty of Archaeology, Dr. Hani Hayajneh, director of Bani Kenana district Ahmed Olaimat, Mayor of Khalid bin Alwaleed Municipality Hussain Malkawi, and Deputy Director of the Dept. of Antiquities Yazid Elayyan, director of the Irbid Tourism Directorate, Masha'el Khasawneh, and several officials from the U.S. Embassy in Amman and the university.
