Draft:Darat al Funun The Khalid Shoman Foundation

Darat al Funun

Darat al Funun is one of the most renowned cultural institutions in Jordan's capital city Amman. It was founded by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation in 1993 and is located in Amman's Jabal Al Weibdeh neighbourhood.

Building

Darat al Funun is headquartered in three heritage houses constructed atop and around ancient Byzantine ruins in Jabal al-Weibdeh neighbourhood in Amman. The Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation acquired the houses with the intention of founding the cultural centre, while preserving the buildings' original architectural and cultural heritage.

The central building was, until 1938, the residence of a British commander in the Jordanian Armed Forces during the country's British mandate. The building was restored and its rooms converted into three exhibition halls. Additionally, a reference library was constructed and equipped with an evolving collection of art-related books and films.

The second of the three buildings, which houses most of the foundation's administrative offices, was once the residence of Ismail Abdo, the former governor of Akko. A small garden was later added to the building, and was designed in the Circassian style, respecting the architectural style of the building.

The third building was the residence of Lebanese poet Fouad Al-Khatib, who worked in the office of Prince Abdullah the first, Ibin Al-Hussein during the Emirate of Jordan. Then, in the 1950s, it became the residence of Suleiman Al-Nabulsi, one of the ministers of Jordan at the time. The building was restored with the intention to host visiting artists and provide work studios for artist residencies.

In addition, a publicly accessible garden is located to the south of the administrative building and contains the remains of an ancient Byzantine church dating back to the sixth century AD. Remains of a mosaic floor and archaeological artefacts were recently discovered at the site; they are now on display in one of the exhibition halls of Darat al Funun.

Activities

Throughout the year, Darat al Funun holds a program of exhibitions by staff and invited curators as well as exhibitions of works by more than 50 Arab artists from its permanent collections and other works on loan.

The Darat also hosts several annual artist residencies and fellowships as well as a monthly cultural programming including lectures, music, poetry, performances, workshops, and film screenings.