Petra, once described as a rose red city half as old as time and as one of the new “7 wonders of the world”, is Jordan's most famed attraction. Tourism in the ancient Nabatean city is a major contributor to the national economy of Jordan and the number of tourists has been steadily declining.
The tourists that still visit Petra only come for ½ day trips, usually on organized tours that quickly continue elsewhere not allowing the tourist to enjoy the entire park. The site suffers from a host of threats, including collapse of ancient structures, improper restoration of ancient structures, and unsustainable tourism. The last has increased substantially, especially since the site received widespread media coverage in 2007.
The overall objective of the project is to attract more tourists to Petra and to lengthen the stay of said tourists from ½ day trips to overnight stays up to 2 nights.
The project aims to increase the involvement of the local communities and tribes in Petra Region in terms of income, number and quality of jobs, while optimizing carrying capacities and visitor flow in the interest of visitor satisfaction and protection of the World Heritage site using sustainable methods and technologies. All, while developing the general strategic plan for the tourist’s itinerary in Petra.
maisam is proposing an eco-village that will provide the tourists of Petra with a green affordable destination. The proposed project will fall into the Al-Baidha region is it what connects Petra to Little Petra and surrounding attractions the tourist would experience when staying longer than ½ a day. An initiative is to be taken to involve the locals in all aspects of the project while building with natural material from the site, and having it be self-sustaining by creating its own power.
In collaboration with the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority PDTRA, maisam is set to help develop the Beidha region of Petra, which falls between Little Petra and The Petra “siq”, both sites being a part of the UNESCO world heritage site, the Petra Archaeological Park. maisam is currently designing an eco-village to build awareness of the importance of the site and to provide job opportunities for the local community, while instigating community-based action, collaboration, and sustainability. The project aims to provide a sustainable modular architecture for the Petra region and to offer ecologically sensitive and culturally appropriate design assistance to communities in need. To encourage community involvement in terms of income, number and quality of jobs, and heighten awareness, we aim to create a positive environmental impact and aid in the preservation of the world heritage site. The project is to give back to the community for years as it can directly help other service opportunities. An initiative is to be taken to involve the locals in all aspects of the project while building with natural material from the site, and having it be self-sustaining by creating its own power. Currently we are developing a socially and environmentally responsible design. The incorporation of local natural material is one of the most sustainable things that can be done when building.