Irbid, November 1 (Petra) – Minister of Local Administration, Walid Masri, called for "optimally" benefiting from heritage houses and turning them into beacons of culture and art in the northern city of Irbid.

During his visit and participation in "Our Jordan is Doing Well" Bazaar at al-Nabulsi's traditional courtyard house on Friday, he said time has come to stop using these heritage sites as offices for employees, calling for completing the Irbid City Center, which will completely transform the area and attract visitors and tourists.

Masri said al-Nabulsi's traditional courtyard house, which hosts the bazaar, was restored approximately twenty years ago in a way that preserved all its details without any alteration.

The minister stated this approach should be applied to all heritage houses that will undergo restoration work in the future, calling for establishing a cultural and political café in a specific historical house and a heritage hotel in others.

On its success, he praised the bazaar concept, which provided training for all participants in various handicrafts by offering all the necessary materials for production, and allowing beneficiaries to display their products free of charge.

In turn, Head of the Greater Irbid Municipality Committee, Imad Azzam, said the municipality is making progress in implementing Irbid city center development project.

Azzam noted practical steps have already been taken to develop a plan to acquire several heritage houses in the city.

//Petra// AG