Ajloun, Sept 16 (Petra) – Old mud homes in Ajloun villages are an enduring testament to traditional construction craftsmanship and lifestyles of past generations with details about building materials and social customs, conservationists said.

In interviews with Petra on Wednesday, heritage specialists and local residents called for documenting and preserving the remaining mud houses. They advocated for "repurposing" some of these structures for cultural and tourism activities, thereby helping to safeguard the "memory of place" and showcase local heritage.

Rehabilitating mud houses could add value to the region's tourism offerings, said Firas Khatatbeh, Ajloun Director of Tourism, suggesting turning these into heritage guesthouses (madafas), small museums, or lodges integrated into tourism trails.

"That would help highlight village history and enrich the visitor experience, all while maintaining the buildings' authentic character," he added.

Construction of earth houses relied on locally available materials, such as soil and straw, which were mixed with water and left to set before being shaped into molds by hand for use in building, said Mahmoud Shraideh, a heritage researcher.

He said roofs were constructed using reeds and wooden beams, then covered with insulating materials, along with the thick earth walls that absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night, keeping indoor spaces cool in summer and warm in winter.

Mud houses are an integral part of Ajloun governorate's architectural and social memory, reflecting a significant era in the history of the villages and the lifestyles led by residents in the past, said Saffah Subuh, a Jordanian academic and artist and founder of "Meditation Cave".

Preserving these houses and documenting their stories, he stressed, helps pass on place-related knowledge to new generations, and ensures local heritage stays within cultural activities and programs.

Yousef Samadi, a youth activist and founder of the "Story of a Place" initiative, said documenting mud houses goes beyond just photographing the structures; it involves gathering oral histories regarding their owners and construction methods.

He said his initiative is to record the accounts of village elders and residents, capturing details about these old sites and homes and transforming them into media content, which helps to preserve the memory of the place before parts of it are lost to the passage of time.

//Petra//SS