Work on redeveloping Irbid's historic centre has reached about 40 per cent across all phases, with the first phase roughly a fifth complete, according to Greater Irbid Municipality.
اضافة اعلان
The scheme aims to reconnect the city's old markets, heritage houses and archaeological sites through pedestrian routes, parking and public space, and to restore downtown as a commercial and cultural centre.
Land acquisition has cost around JD3 million, covering 13 plots in the goldsmiths' market area, five in the Dhahr al-Tal area, and the outright purchase of Beit Al-Jawda.
First phase
The opening phase centres on a 24-dunum park at Tell Irbid and the rehabilitation of the area around it. That involves demolishing structures no longer needed on the site, restoring the steps and roads leading to the old municipality building, and replacing utility lines.
Parking areas and a pedestrian bridge near Irbid Secondary School are also included, along with a tourist route linking Tell Irbid to the Meridien Hotel and Beit Al-Dahdah.
Ghaith Al-Tal, spokesperson for Greater Irbid Municipality, said demolition work has started and the municipality expects to finish the first phase in about six months.
Later phases will cover the goldsmiths' market and its square, and the completion of studies for the remaining areas. Al-Tal said funding is in place and the technical plans are ready.
The project also takes in the King Ghazi Hotel and Sharairi House, and a planned wedding market.
A project two decades old
Al-Tal said the scheme began in 2005 and stalled at several points before conditions allowed work to resume under a broader plan. It draws on studies prepared by Yarmouk University, Al al-Bayt University and Jordan University of Science and Technology. Success, he added, depends on how the sites are operated after construction rather than on the building work alone.
Reuse rather than preservation
Majda Shwayat, an engineer, argued that preserving old buildings should not mean freezing them. They can be converted to cultural, commercial or tourist use, keeping their historical value while giving them a function in daily life.
Linking Tell Irbid to the old markets and heritage houses on foot would let visitors experience the city as a whole rather than as isolated monuments, Shwayat said. Parks and open space would also encourage families to spend longer in the area.
Alaa Ababneh, a tourism specialist, made a similar case. The value of the city centre lies in the whole urban fabric rather than any single building, Ababneh said, covering the markets, houses, the tell, the alleys and the public spaces between them.
Visitors now expect an experience rather than a monument, Ababneh argued, including walking, eating, photographing and buying from local producers. A clear route between landmarks keeps people downtown longer, which benefits restaurants, cafés, shops and artisans directly. The project could also support new tourism products such as heritage walks, specialised markets and seasonal events.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting by Ahmed Al-Tamimi
