Old houses of Amman .. The return of the spirit of the doors of restaurants and cafes

Khaled Majali - Amman

Linda Khoury's activities have been varied, but her most notable project was the opening of a restaurant and cafe of a different style from the mainstream. One of the houses of the capital, Amman - back in the 1940s - chose the ancient mountain of Al-Weibdeh, restoring it with its old form and aesthetics from inside and outside, and the decorations that characterized the city's houses during that period, tiles and windows. Matches them.

Linda Khoury, a photographic and environmental activist, has not set up a lucrative tourism project as much as she wants to preserve part of the Amman residents' emotional memory, revitalize healthy eating habits, and provide organic vegetarian meals to the new generation who are addicted to fast food and fast food.

Return the soul to the place
Linda Khoury is part of a wave of similar projects launched two decades ago, where old houses are converted into restaurants, cafes and inns.

"Houses are not stones, they are history, memories and stories, why do we leave them neglected, deserted and vulnerable to destruction?" Linda says, "I preserve and restore the spirit to it if not by any other means, such as turning it into restaurants, cafes, art and cultural centers, , So this two ether project was. "

"They prepared the tiles and repaired their wooden windows. Young people and even foreigners - residents and visitors - approached Amman's old atmosphere and popular lifestyle," she said.

high demand
The people of Amman, along with Arab and foreign tourists, accept these restaurants and cafes, which are home to Omani homes, some of which have been restored for more than a century.

The project of Linda Khoury is not the only one of its kind. It is a phenomenon that began two decades ago and spread especially in Jabal Amman, Jabal al-Waibdeh and the center of the country.

Saif al-Qusous also tells us about his experience in transforming an old villa of the 1930s into an oriental restaurant serving Jordanian and Arabic cuisine.

"Years ago, I bought this villa belonging to an Armenian family that migrated to Jordan in the early 20th century. It was in a good condition, but I added some modern touches to it," said Saif. "The project was amazingly successful and everyone liked it. It turned into something like a museum that dates to architecture and style. Omani life decades ago. "

With the idea .. But!
"In general, we have to recognize that the urban fabric and the location are sometimes unsuitable for housing, because the street turns to commercial uses, which means that most of the old houses on the The main streets have become difficult to live in, the situation today can not be compared to the fifties and sixties of the last century. "

Khammash does not oppose the idea in principle, but has conditions. "The old house ensured the success of the restaurant, regardless of the service and the quality of the food, and sometimes houses from the 1930s and 1950s were smashed by the fact that they were stuffed," he said. With a theater, Bedouin or village style that is far from the historical period in Amman. "

"The most important thing in the end is to ensure the city's life as a pulse, dynamism, economic, cultural and social life with balance, but without blurring or distorting the evidence of an important period in the history of the city," he concluded.

Future transformations
It is noteworthy that the urban activity in Amman began since it was chosen as the capital of the Jordanian state in 1921. The building was characterized by its great influence on the traditional building patterns in Palestine, Lebanon and Turkey. However, modernity swept the urban landscape in the early fifties. People began to design their homes influenced by modern Western architecture schools. In the city remained distinguished by its durability and its dependence on stone as a first and essential material in construction.

But the urgent question today is: What is the future shape of the houses of the people of the city in light of the great urban renaissance and the emergence of residential towers glass? Will today's homes also become restaurants, cafes and tourist facilities in the future? The economic and social transformations, people's moods and tastes are what will certainly determine this.