Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented in
Arabic and English,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Japanese, Korean,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Thai
and Spanish.
Greetings,
culture-loving viewers
and welcome to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
The region of Palestine
has been inhabited
by ancient civilizations
for 1.5 million years.
The rich cultural history
of Palestine is evident
from its architectures,
arts and costumes,
as well as
the way people live.
In an effort to preserve
their valuable traditions,
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
in Bethlehem was
established 8 years ago,
and has adopted
a holistic approach
to rehabilitation by
involving the community
and promoting a sense
of shared responsibility.
Today, we’ll feature
part one of a two-part
program introducing
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
in Palestine with director
of the organization and
architect Issam Juha and
architect Nada Al-Atrash.
Historic Palestine is one
of the most amazing
places in the world.
It’s a very small country,
however, it has
an outstanding history
and amazing geography
that makes it special
in the world.
Palestine is a very
holy place and we call it
the Holy Land for being
the home for 3 religions
of Christian, Judaism
and Muslims.
Each religion
exists in this land
and it’s very important
for the religions.
The landscape of Palestine
is a very amazing
landscape where
in 15 kilometer wide,
the geography of
Palestine changes from
a green area to
a complete desert area,
or semi-desert
to desert area.
We have one outstanding
lake which is called
the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea is a lake
where it contains
a high percentage of salt,
this helps make it special
because you can float
on the sea without
moving your hands
or doing any effort.
And this is one of
very important touristic
places in Palestine.
Palestine’s architectures
are the standing witness
of its thousands of years
of glory and a part of
its rich heritage.
Throughout history,
numerous masonries,
architects and artisans
have built into
these structures
their love for the land,
their wish for the world,
and their aesthetic values.
Therefore,
returning them to their
original appearance
means preserving the
cultural roots and identity
of modern Palestine.
If you need to understand
architectural heritage or
your heritage in general,
you need to understand
why did they do it
that way.
The Palestinian culture
is very simple and
has beautiful architecture
that reflects
the connection between
the human beings
and the nature
that surrounds him.
Also in Palestine we have
very beautiful old towns,
we have Nablus which is
a sample of
the Roman old town.
We have Jerusalem
which we can refer
to the Mamluk period.
We have
Ottoman Bethlehem.
The Nativity Church was
built in the year 329 AC.
And the second time,
in the year 635 AC,
which means that
this church is more than
1400 years old.
Also we have the Church
of Holy Sepulchre
in Jerusalem, one
of the most outstanding
churches that was also
built in the Byzantine time.
These two churches
are considered two of
the oldest churches that
exist in the whole world.
In addition to these
very beautiful churches
you can see also
other religious-rich
outstanding buildings
such as Al Aqsa Mosque,
and the Dome
in Jerusalem.
Also you can see
the beautiful monasteries
that are constructed
on the top of
the mountains in the
Jerusalem wilderness area.
These monasteries are
considered as amazing
monasteries because
they were constructed
on the mountains,
where they are
part of the mountain.
And priests used to live
in these monasteries
from the 4th century.
To preserve the
magnificent historical
roots that serve as a link
to the past for her people,
the Centre for
Cultural Heritage
Preservation was founded.
The Centre
was authorized by
President Yassser Arafat
as an extension
of the Bethlehem 2000
Project Authority that
was created in 1998
in preparation
for Bethlehem’s
millennium celebration.
The Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
was established in 2001
and it aims at preserving
both the tangible
and intangible
cultural heritage
of Palestine through
its preservation projects
and rehabilitation
projects through
the awareness campaigns.
It aims at creating
the interaction
between the community
and the center through
the community
mapping projects that are
conducted with school
children all around
the district and it also
aims to conduct research
on the subjects of tangible
and intangible heritage.
We give more priority
for the students’ sectors,
for the youth, where
we believe that these
are the generation
that may change things
in future and provide
better protection
for the cultural heritage.
That’s why we try
to make them part of
the project, for example,
we involve them
in planting activities,
in the project where we restore.
We give them lectures
that inform them about
the cultural heritage
of the Bethlehem district
and the importance of
protecting this heritage.
Also we arrange for sight
visits for these students
where they come and see
the projects we are doing
before restoration,
during restoration
and after restoration,
where they can touch
the difference.
Our program on
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
in Palestine will continue
after these brief messages.
Please stay tuned
to Supreme Master
Television.
The architecture
is the tangible heritage.
The intangible heritage
of Palestine are the
maxims and traditions
that we inherited
from our parents,
grandparents,
and grand-grandparents
that’s reflected in our life.
It’s not only
the Palestinian culture
that is a welcoming
and peace-loving culture;
it’s the whole
Middle-Eastern people
and the Arabs.
They love to welcome
their guests and
take care of them.
Welcome back to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television, as we
continue our interview
with director Issam Juha
and architect
Nada Al-Atrash
of Palestine’s Centre
for Cultural Heritage
Preservation.
Since its establishment,
the Centre has
implemented numerous
focused programs
to restore historical
buildings and rehabilitate
several old quarters
in Bethlehem,
which greatly improve
the living conditions
for the local residents.
Integrated with these
projects are field research
and training activities,
as well as public
awareness campaigns
about the importance
of Palestine’s
cultural heritage.
All our projects are
conducted through grants
and proposals
that are introduced to
the World Bank USA,
the governments of
Sweden, Italy, Spain,
Belgium, Austria,
Australia, SEDA
(Swedish International
Development Agency).
Usually when we start
rehabilitating buildings,
we do a documentary
work that covers
several aspects
such as social survey,
architecture survey,
structure survey, we do
survey about oral history,
and then we start
working on
the rehabilitation project,
on the plantation works.
Recently, we’ve started
a pilot project in the
Palestinian Territory,
called the Bethlehem
Area Conservation
and Management Plan.
This project aims
at bringing up
the importance
the cultural heritage
and introducing ways
of how to conserve it
through conducting
studies that will come up
with conservation plans
for the cities of
Bethlehem, Beit Jala
and Beit Sahour.
Also through
a management plan
that will explain how
to manage the cultural
heritage of Palestine.
After finishing
the Conservation
and Management Plan
for Bethlehem,
Beit Sahour and Beit Jala,
we are hoping to be able
to prepare a nomination
file to enlist Bethlehem
on the UNESCO
World Heritage list.
We have also been able
to set several training
courses for engineers,
architects, laborers
to train them on
how to deal with the
conservation techniques
and to increase the
capacity in this field.
The Centre is not only
concerned with
architectural and
structural preservation
but is dedicated to
promoting the ancient
traditions of Palestinians
as well.
Now with
the complications of life,
the economical situations
and the influence
of the globalization,
people are tending
to leave these habits and
start living the modern way.
But we still need to
preserve them to know
what was happening.
Why are we forgetting
the songs that
our grandparents
and grandmothers
used to sing? This is
the intangible heritage
that we need to revitalize
because it is the link to
our past, it is what made
us what are we today.
The intangible heritage
of Palestine includes
its beautiful arts, customs
as well as her culture
of living. Palestinians’
warm and inviting culture
of hospitality stems
from their traditional
nomadic heritage.
It's a simple way of life.
It's a way of life
that shows love
and friendship
between people,
and between families,
between neighbors.
It's the culture that used
to bring people together
and we hope,
by showing this culture,
that we can explain to
everybody and to the world,
that we are loving people,
and you can see it
through our architecture,
through our heritage,
through our maxims,
through our traditions.
We are loving and caring
people, and we have to
continue being that way.
We used to live
in communities
that used to move.
And then when we settled,
we still knew what it
means to be moving from
one place to another
and we took it
as our responsibility to
take care of people who
are coming from outside,
and provide them home
and shelter until
they can find their way.
This tradition has
developed into a maxim,
that whoever is coming
as a guest to our country,
a researcher, a visitor,
a relative who has been
living away,
it is our responsibility
to make them feel like
they are home. Because
this is the only way
that we can reflect our
feelings to the people.
To fully experience
and appreciate
the rich traditions, values
and heritage of Palestine,
it is important to be
immersed in the atmosphere
of her peaceful
and friendly people.
It’s simple to explain
the tangible architecture
because its something
you can see and touch
with your hands.
But in order to understand
the intangible heritage,
I think you need to come
here to Palestine
and live the experience.
It’s easy to live
the experience in villages,
with the Bedouins,
with the locals,
with the farmers.
This is the only way
you can understand
the intangible heritage.
Please join us for
part two of this enriching
program next Monday
on Supreme Master
Television’s
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
For more about
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation,
please visit
Caring viewers,
thank you for your
presence today.
Up next is Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
right after
Noteworthy News.
May love and harmony
prevail on Earth.
Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented in
Arabic and English,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Japanese, Korean,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Thai
and Spanish.
Greetings,
culture-loving viewers
and welcome to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
The region of Palestine
has been inhabited
by ancient civilizations
for 1.5 million years.
The rich cultural history
of Palestine is evident
from its architectures,
arts and costumes,
as well as
the way people live.
In an effort to preserve
their valuable traditions,
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
in Bethlehem was
established 8 years ago,
and has adopted
a holistic approach
to rehabilitation by
involving the community
and promoting a sense
of shared responsibility.
Today, we’ll feature
part two of a two-part
program introducing
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
in Palestine with director
of the organization and
architect Issam Juha and
architect Nada Al-Atrash.
Palestinian architecture
is simple architecture,
mostly in the villages
is simple, vernacular
architecture that is built
in simple techniques,
the arches and the vaults,
the cross vaults, using
the local material just
to serve their purposes
and to fulfill their needs.
Very close to each other,
in harmony with each other,
and also in harmony
with the nature
surrounding them.
Because mostly
the people who lived
in the villages were
the farmers and they
always have this special
connection between them
and their land.
So it's easy to notice,
like in any urban settlements,
that people gathered
on top of the hill
and have their farms
surrounding them.
Ms. Al-Atrash
is currently co-authoring
a book on the cultural
heritage of Palestine and
the means to preserve it.
The book is
a collaborative effort
with three other
architectural heritage
preservation institutions
in Palestine,
namely, the Hebron
Rehabilitation Committee,
Riwaq Institute
from Ramallah and
the Welfare Association
in Jerusalem.
This is an aerial photo
of Bethlehem of
the year 1937, which
is the earlier photo,
the historical archived
photos that we have are
one of the elements that
helped us understand
the methodology
of the town or village
and how did they develop
throughout the years,
especially that lots
of data related to
the buildings in Palestine
is lost.
And we have the stories
told by the older people
to understand what is
happening and figured
out the reasons that
caused the architectures
to look that way.
The book will offer
a significant window
into the colorful history
of Palestinian culture
and lifestyles through
extensive research
conducted over the years.
Because of the difference
in weather and
temperature in our land
between the summer
and the winter;
we used to build with
hard cut stone
from our local quarries.
And if you can notice,
the thickness of the walls
is massive because
this can prevent the chill,
and cause the house to be
cold in the summer days.
It's also connected
with their living style.
They had managed
to gather all the facilities
they need to live in one room.
They had what is called
a mastaba which is
a platform in the room
where they used to sleep.
And then in one of
the walls you would find
a niche where they used
to keep their sleeping
pillows and blankets,
bring them out
in the night to sleep
and then put them back in
to use the space for living.
So they adapted
themselves to minimum
space in order to be able
to keep the most area
of the agricultural lands.
Also in order to
live closer to each other.
They used to work in summer,
collect their crops,
keep them in the houses
for either drying them
or pickle them
or get the olive oils.
In summer, they used to
sleep on the roof
or in the hosh which
is the courtyard
in the middle of the house.
This is one other feature
that you can find in
almost all the Palestinian
architecture or
vernacular architecture.
The hosh can gather
the family to live together
in this space and
provide them privacy
from their neighbors.
Yet they have that
connecting door
to the neighbors
they're living next to.
This used to be the fabric
that constituted
the historic town.
After these brief messages,
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
will resume our program
on the preservation of
the beautiful
Palestinian heritage.
Please stay tuned to
Supreme Master Television.
This is a Palestinian
traditional house.
You can notice the color
of the stone and how is it
matching the nature around,
the rocks and everything.
This is the complex
of rooms.
If you can see the difference
between this, which is
in the cities, and they are
caring about
the aesthetic appearance
about the building, while
here, this is in the village,
all they're trying to do
is fulfill their needs
where they only needed
rectangular openings
to go inside the room.
Welcome back to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television for our
program featuring
the efforts of the Centre
for Cultural Heritage
Preservation in Palestine
in the restoration of
historical architecture.
So through our adaptive
re-use of buildings,
we are trying to create
a new lifestyle
in the middle of the towns
and use the architectures
that we have
in the middle or centers
of the historic towns
of Bethlehem area.
Both the villages and towns,
we are revitalizing these
centers in a modern way.
In the year 2005, we have
been able to establish
a program named
Job Creation through
Cultural Heritage
Rehabilitation.
In this program, we have
selected several buildings
to be restored
and to be reused
for current purposes
or for new purposes.
This program aims
to achieve 4 important
objectives. First,
in this program we have
been able to protect
the historical buildings
from collapse.
Second, we have been
able to create jobs.
As you may know,
this conservation project
includes intensive labor,
where 40% of the total
budget of the project
goes to direct employment.
Also, after the project,
there is a chance
for permanent
job opportunities.
The third goal was
to enhance the role of
public institution
through providing
these old buildings
to offer their services.
And fourth, also we have
been able to make use
of this historic building
and this can decrease
the need of land
in the time where
there is no available land.
So these were the goals
of this project.
We have been successful
to meet our ends
and goals and we are
still continuing
with these projects.
Under the center’s leadership,
renovation projects
have successfully
met their objectives.
Not only is the tangible
heritage of Palestine
found in its historic
buildings preserved,
but the restored buildings
offer residents
a higher quality of life.
This project is for
the Anatrah Quarter,
a quarter
which is located next
to the Nativity Church.
This quarter used to be
in very bad condition.
We have been able to
upgrade the infrastructure
and provide better
living conditions
and safety conditions
for people there.
These are some photos
for the Old Core of
Beit Fajar, or historic
center of Beit Fajar.
Also there we have been
able to improve
the living condition for
people living in that area.
About building renovations,
this is Mar Aphram
Children’s Library,
this is how it was before,
and now after being
rehabilitated
it is now used
as a children’s library.
With education being
a highly valued
in Palestinian culture,
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
also applies its efforts
in restoring buildings
to provide schools
and facilities for students.
This is Dar Abu
Eid - Beit Jala, one of
our outstanding projects.
It is a 3-storey building
constructed 150 years ago.
It was abandoned
for more than 20 years.
We have been able
to restore the building,
and to adapt it to be used
as a musical academy
for teaching
to children music.
Also, these are some photos.
This one of our projects
that was started in
a village 5 kilometers to
the south of Bethlehem.
This building had almost
collapsed and people
in that village
never believed that
this building can be used
once again.
We have been able
to restore the building
and make it available
as a culture center.
This is one of our projects
in Al-Jaba’a village,
a village 15 kilometers
to the south of Bethlehem,
and after rehabilitation
this building was used
as a kindergarten.
You can see that we have
different treatment
for these buildings
according to the use.
Here the colors used
are colorful, that fits
with the new purpose
of the building.
This is one
very important palace
that was constructed
in Bethlehem in the year
1914, and later it was
transferred to be a school.
Through the dedicated
and loving efforts
of the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
living conditions of
local Palestinians have
greatly been improved.
Their significant work
has also ensured
the continuation
of their beautiful culture,
one in which the same
universal values of peace
and respect are shared.
All people are born equal
and everybody
has the right to live equal
to the other.
So, I hope that peace will
come one day to this land
and we can live
all in peace because
we are all humans and
we all deserve a peaceful life.
I think the culture
is one of the aspects that
may help in building trust.
Being a specialist
in the protection
of cultural heritage,
I think we should start
with this point,
to make cooperation
between both sides
in order to protect
the cultural heritage.
Our deep appreciation
to Mr. Issam Juha
and Ms. Nada Al-Atrash
for sharing their expertise
and devotion
in preserving the tangible
and intangible
Palestinian heritage.
May the important work
of the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation
continue in fruitful success.
For more about
the Centre for Cultural
Heritage Preservation,
please visit
Optimistic viewers,
thank you being with us
for A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms.
Up next is Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
right after
Noteworthy News
here on
Supreme Master Television.
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