Arts & Crafts

For a meaningful memento of your trip to the Middle-eastern kingdom, step away from tackiness and bring home traditional folk art created by locals

How to shop for a piece of authentic Jordanian artisanship

1 MOSAICS

Watch artists restoring mosaics on a tour of Madaba Institute for Mosaics Art and Restoration, or observe artists creating new mosaics at Jordan Jewel nearby. Firas Abdullah says, “Jordan Jewel’s artisans create scenes by hand with colourful stones harvested from the wild.” to make a mosaic yourself, book a class at Mosaic House in Amman. mimarjordan.org; jordanjewel.com; mosaic house. online

2 OSTRICH EGGS

Byzantine-era mosaics often depict ostrich eggs, which were used to store water or as lanterns. Today, locals use needles to dot-paint farming scenes and ibex on them. Ashraf Barqawi, director of eco-tourism for The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), says, “The RSCN trained artisans to dot designs on eggs at Azraq Wetland Reserve. visitors can try in its workshop.”

3 KILIM RUGS

These decorative and functional rugs are still produced using traditional techniques. Bedouin women spin sheep wool and goat hair by hand at Bani Hamida Weaving Centre in Mukawir in central Jordan, then weave it on looms and colour it with dye from the indigo plant, pomegranates and mulberries. Enquire in advance about joining a weaving class. jordanriver.jo 4 CALLIGRAPHY

If you’re fascinated by the swirls and flecks of Arabic calligraphy, take a class at Deewan Institute for Languages and Cultural Studies in Amman, during which you’ll write the Deewani and Ruq’ah scripts using a bamboo pen. deewaninstitute.com 5 POTTERY

The Nabateans – the people who built Petra – used local sandstone to create lightweight pottery, which they painted with images of plants and wildlife. watch women making ceramics at Petra Pottery Association in Taybeh village near Wadi Musa, or try it yourself at Creative Art Centre Amman. cacamman.com

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