Amman - Jordan

The European Union Ambassador to Jordan, Pierre-Christophe Chatzisavas, said that the coming months will witness intensive work with the Jordanian government and the Italian side to develop the historic site of Makawir, protect its archaeological monuments, and improve its presence as a tourist destination capable of attracting more visitors.

10 million euros for the rehabilitation of Makauer and Abela

In July 2024, Jordan and the European Union signed a program worth 10 million euros to rehabilitate the Makawir and Abella “Quilba” sites, in cooperation with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and local community organizations. The project implementation period extends for 36 months with a budget of 5.885 million euros, including 535 thousand euros as a contribution from the Italian agency, with technical support from the Italian University of Perugia.

Improve access and visitor facilities

The development includes improving the access roads to Makawir Castle, preserving the historical caves along the road leading to it, protecting the surrounding natural landscape, and improving the visitor experience, in addition to training the cadres of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Department of Public Antiquities on methods of integrated preservation and advanced archaeological research.

One million euros for community tourism
In parallel with the archaeological project, the European Union and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities signed last April two agreements with a total value of two million euros, of which one million euros were allocated to the “RISE” project implemented in Makawir in Madaba Governorate and Rehab in Mafraq Governorate over a period of two years, and focuses on supporting local economic initiatives, developing skills and improving opportunities for women, youth and people with disabilities.

Hejazin: A step to promote religious tourism

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Imad Hijazin, said during the inauguration of the executive phase of the project that the development of Makawir represents an important step to enhance its position on the map of global religious tourism, and that the success of the project is not measured by the development of the archaeological site alone, but rather by the ability of the local community to participate in its protection and management and to benefit from the opportunities it provides.

The narrative is as important as the location

Chatzisavas stressed the need to build a narrative for the site that explains its historical and religious value in a way that reaches the public, saying: “

Tourists cannot be attracted if the story is not told to them; The narrative is no less important than the site itself, and tourism, in the end, is also a process of communication.”

An opportunity for tourists interested in religious tourism
The development of Makawir represents an important opportunity for Arab tourists interested in religious and cultural tourism, as the site is located about 30 kilometers southwest of Madaba, overlooking the Dead Sea, and is linked to the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. With the completion of rehabilitation work and improvement of roads and facilities, the Arab visitor will be able to integrate Makkawar into an integrated tourist itinerary that includes the Dead Sea, Madaba, and Mount Nebo, with a deeper experience of the stories of religious sites in Jordan.