Renowned for having the saltiest and lowest body of water in the world, the Kingdom will soon be home to the lowest museum on earth currently under construction in the Jordan Valley….
Renowned for having the saltiest and lowest body of water in the world, the Kingdom will soon be home to the lowest museum on earth currently under construction in the Jordan Valley.
Lot`s Museum, a lavish two-storey structure being developed by the Ministry of Tourism at the cost of around JD1 million, is set to showcase the history of the dazzling topography and unique geological facets of the area.
According to Samir Jaradat, the project`s contact engineer, the museum – located some 300 metres from the cave where Lot and his family sought refuge from the devastation of Sodom and Gomorrah – is a new platform within the coastal area`s tourism development plan.
The Jordan Valley already holds a vast wealth of historical and biblical attractions such as the Dead Sea, the Baptism Site and remnants from the age of Herodus. This museum looks at the geological beauty of the area where all these wonders lie, Jaradat told The Jordan Times on Tuesday.
Visitors who drop in at the shell-shaped museum will find extensive information about the geological, natural and archaeological facets of the area, Jaradat said.
A committee comprising representatives from the Department of Antiquities, the Tourism Ministry, the Jordan Valley Authority and geological experts from local universities will be responsible for the museum`s contents and exhibits, he added. We have already completed the underground structure for the museum and are working to complete the entire project by April next year, Jaradat said.
Designed by a local architect, the museum will cover some 2,150 sq.m. and include an exhibition hall, cafeteria, service facilities, bus and car parks as well as a tourist police office.
Project planners have also recommended establishing an outdoor exhibition ground to display various attractions such as a sugar cane presser that is particular to the Ghor area.
Lot`s museum, designed to revitalise local and international tourism in the area, is one of many development projects undertaken by the government to turn the Dead Sea shores into an attractive and economically flourishing tourist destination.
Private and public sector firms have taken a keen interest in the Dead Sea over the past two years, with major schemes under way such as the $3.4 million Dead Sea Panorama Complex and several new hotels and water parks as part of the Crystal City project.
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