Research & Publications

Ammar Khammash is well established in Jordan and internationally for his knowledge in Jordan's cultural and natural heritage. He is an expert in local building techniques and traditions; has extensive knowledge in the geology of Jordan and its natural features; and is one of the few architects who are interested in medicinal plants and using them as a viable tool in the socio-economic development. This section includes research and publications by Khammash on numerous topics including design, architecture, environment, paleontology and geology from 1986 till present.

Notes on Village Architecture in Jordan

A preview of Ammar Khammash's book "Notes on Village Architecture in Jordan", first published in 1986. The book is a collection of the author's observation and notes on Jordan's villages and rural living environment.
https://www.khammash.com/sites/default/files/khammash_notesonvillagearchitecture.pdf

Fourth Edition of Paper Note Currency Issued by the Central Bank of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Khammash Architects were pleased to have been given the opportunity to design the fourth edition of the Jordanian paper currency. Each denomination was designed to reflect the general mood of the time period relevant to the king then in power. ...more

Life in Mud

Mud is sensational. It is the bedrock of all building materials. It is the choice of God for creating us, and the choice of early humans to create their architecture and many of the artifacts within. ...more

Prophet Hud

A tiny road winds up to a small village, and as you gain height the vast landscape around you drops and extends into an infinite circle of horizons with no ends. To the west, you can see the green mountains of Ajloun in the background, Dibbeen in the middle and the shady Jerash valley in the foreground. ...more

Photogenic Autumn

The sky pulls its dark clouds eastward, like a fragmentary thick blanket of black wool, worn out in many spots. The constant and sure movement of the traveling clouds drags a contact print of themselves on the earth below, another spotted blanket of shade and light, falling and climbing in deep grooves ...more

Via Nova

It is amazing how little-changed remain some parts of the Jordanian landscape since the Roman times. It could be said that for the last 2000 years, 90% of the change happened during the last 50 years. This has given us the unique chance to have the last glimpse of a long era, before it is gone forever. ...more

Fine Pine

There are still some hidden roads in the Jordanian hinterland that you can discover and keep as secret. Many of such roads, besides giving you practical shortcuts, are often scenic drives, with hardly any traffic, making it possible to slow down and look more at the surrounding landscapes than the road. ...more

Km. 398

By now, driving on the smooth highway begins to have a soothing, hypnotic effect. It is difficult to tell the speed of the car as all landmarks are far away, moving very slowly. All along the ride from Amman to Aqaba, villages and towns show hardly any charm. One exception is the village of Jurf Al Daraweesh. ...more

Jawa - the Dawn of Water Engineering

To the east of Mafraq and before Safawi, hides a surprise: the landscape rises as high as 1160 meter above sea level, giving this corner of Jordan a different feel of greener ground cover, cooler temperatures and dramatic features unexpected to be found in the eastern desert. ...more

Natural Bridge

One of the most dramatic landscapes of Jordan is the eastern shoreline of the Dead Sea. More than other parts around this lake, the eastern part stands like a wall, so close to the water, that it adds to the landscape a powerful contrast in color and texture, animating a wonderful line where mountains meet the sea. ...more

Little Fort

A small dusty town on the Desert Highway, Qataraneh is the most favorite stopping point for travelers heading south. From the first glance, the choice of this location for settlement seems to have been for no specific reason. ...more

Against the Wind

The land to the south of Karak has rolling hills separated by gentle meandering little valleys. Draped on the easy slopes, patches of wheat or barley fields appear like straw carpets roasting in the sun. To the east, in the direction of the Desert Highway, the land flattens into a smoother terrain. ...more