A Jordanian Model in Conservation of Architectural Heritage, Case Study: Dar As Saraya Government, Madaba, Jordan

Abstract Jordan being part of the Arab and Islamic world has passed different eras throughout the history. It is rich in Architectural Heritage; while awareness of the need for conservation is recent. In spite of this late awareness, lot of work has been done in this respect. This paper deals with the extent to which Jordanian endeavors have succeeded. It looks at the historical background of the issue, examines conservation in Jordan, and concentrates on the city of Madaba which is one of the historic cities of the country. Furthermore, the paper presents a case study of the city. It is Dar As Saraya; it is presented in certain detail, hence, not only lessons can be learned and seen in the context; but, also construction, materials and techniques are examined too. This paper is an attempt to analyze the case study in order to review the problems of the present works in the light of experience of the national and local context. The methods used for conducting this study are as follows: ? Reviewing literature on the subject of architectural heritage in Jordan. ? Studying background of the heritage in Madaba city. ? Studying different opinions regarding building conservation. ? Presenting Dar As Saraya as a case study, and studying it in some details to show an example of how building conservation is taking place in Jordan.