Lot's Museum begins to take shape

July 2, 2005

AMMAN — Engineers are making headway in the construction of a two-storey historical museum in the Jordan Valley, with project officials estimating its completion in October.

“Lot's Museum,” being built some 300 metres from the cave where Lot and his family sought refuge from the devastation of Sodom and Gomorrah, is set to showcase the area's dazzling topography and unique geological facets.

Samir Jaradat, the project's contact engineer told The Jordan Times yesterday that the museum's structure is being finalised with plans under way to select the exhibits.

Jaradat said a specialised committee comprising antiquity, tourism and geological experts was responsible for undertaking the selection of the museum's contents and exhibits.

Designed by a local architect, the museum is the first initiative of its kind in the Dead Sea area, also renowned for housing the lowest and most saline body of water on earth.

The Ministry of Tourism started work on the JD1 million shell-shaped museum early last year to diversify the range of services and attractions in the Dead Sea area.

The ministry hopes the facility will add a new dimension to the services available in the area, which is home to various biblical and historical sites such as the Baptism Site.

Covering 2,150sq.m., Lot's Museum will include an exhibition hall, cafeteria, service facilities, bus and car parks, as well as a tourist police office.

SOURCE: Jordan Times