QUSAIR AMRA (JORDAN) WORLD HERITAGE SITE: A REVIEW OF CURRENT STATUS OF PRESENTATION AND PROTECTION APPROACHES

Abstract

In 1985, the monument of Qusair Amra a particularly well-preserved Islamic palace
site was afforded UNESCO World Heritage Site status. In turn, a steadily increasing
number of cultural tourists have visited the area since that time. However, the topic of
presentation of heritage resources is still an emergent notion in Jordan. Moreover, an in-
tegrated presentation, approaching the world heritage monuments within their natural
setting, is necessary for an enhanced preservation and interpretation of the resources.
This study is an exploration of the nature of world heritage monuments presented to the
public in Jordan through an analysis of a case study. The presentation and protection of
Qusair Amra is the subject of a careful analysis in the research presented here. This paper
provides an overview of the issues of risks generated by visitors and of presentation of
world heritage monuments. The specific aims of the study were to assess the potential
and current risks generated by visitors as well giving a general appraisal of implemented
heritage presentation techniques. It examined the achievement of heritage presentation in
enhancing heritage tourism development in Qusair Amra. On site visits were used to as-
certain presentation tools and site management being operated at Qusair Amra. Conclu-
sions and recommendations have emerged from this analysis. The main outcome is the
lack of careful planning for heritage presentation at the attraction level. This lack has led
to differences in the management of other issues such as interpretation and knowledge of
visitor profiles. This research can be used in future tourism planning, tourist manage-
ment and future interpretation of Qusair Amra.