Bedouin Heritage Project
Presentation
Tuesday, April 7th

Agenda
"The elderly are the books ๏ UNESCO & Intangible Cultural Heritage
of the young” A Bedouin Proverb ๏ Wadi Rum Protected Zone
๏ Implications of Bedu oral traditions
๏ Changing generational socio-economic
lifestyles
๏ Aging guardians of traditions
๏ Bedu Traditional Medicine
๏ Saluki Greyhounds
๏ Project Mission
๏ Project Plan
๏ Project Execution
๏ Sponsors & Supporters
๏ Student Workshop

UNESCO & Intangible Cultural Heritage
the intangible cultural h er i tag e ( IC H)
– or living her ita ge – is the
mainspr ing o f o ur cultural div er si ty
and its ma intenance a guaran tee for
co ntinuing creativity.
1) O ra l t ra d i t i on s a nd ex pr es s io n s
i nc l u d i ng l an g u ag e as a ve hic le of t he
i nt a n g i bl e c u l tu ra l he r i ta ge ;
2) Per fo r m i n g a r t s ( s u c h a s t ra d it io n a l
m us i c , da nc e a nd t hea t re );
3) S o ci a l p ra ct i c es , r i t ua ls a nd fe s t ive
ev en t s;
4) K n ow l ed g e a nd prac t ic e s c o nc e r ni ng
na t u r e and t h e uni ve r s e ;
5) Tra di ti ona l cra f t s ma n s hip.

ICH is the composite of the practices, representations,
expressions, as well as the knowledge and skills, that
communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals
ICH Guiding Principles recognise as part of their cultural heritage. More
precisely, a cultural heritage that:
๏ is transmitted from generation to generation;
๏ is constantly recreated by communities and groups, in
response to their environment, their interaction with
nature, and their history;
๏ provides communities and groups with a sense of
identity and continuity;
๏ promotes respect for cultural diversity and human
creativity;
๏ is compatible with international human rights
instruments;
๏ complies with the requirements of mutual respect
among communities, and of sustainable development.
The depository of this heritage is the human
mind, the human body being the main
instrument for its enactment, or – literally –
embodiment.

Wadi Rum
Protected Zone

If a picture is worth a thousand words,
then a day in Wadi Rum should fill a library.

The Howeitat Tribe hold all the area around Wadi Rum
from Taba in Egypt and well into Saudi Arabia to the
south. The land in Wadi Rum however is occupied by the
The Bedu of Wadi Rum Zilabia and the Zuweida tribes who are an offshoot of
the Aneizat in Saudi Arabia. These two sub tribes were
officially confirmed as being "in possession" of these lands
by the Abu Tayi and the bin Jazi sheikhs in the 1920s.
The Bedu of Wadi Rum have preserved specific
knowledge related to the flora and fauna of the area,
traditional medicine, camel husbandry, tent-making
craftsmanship, and tracking and climbing skills.
The Bedu have developed an extensive knowledge of
their environment and complex moral and social code, all
of which is expressed and transmitted orally. Their rich
mythology is manifested in various forms of oral
expression, comprising poetry, folktales and songs that
are closely linked to particular places and the history of
these communities.
Over the last fifty years, more and more Bedu groups
have settled down. The provision of education, housing,
health care and sanitation has made a sedentary
existence more attractive for many of them, leading,
however, to the erosion of skills developed by the Bedu
over generations.
The increase of desert tourism and its demand for
“authentic Bedu culture” should not be allowed to
further degrade the intangible heritage of the Bedu in
Petra and Wadi Rum.

Aging guardians of traditions

Sedentarisation
Since the 50’s, Jordan has encouraged modernisation
policies leading to bedouins sedentarisation and
detribalisation, through state-sponsored agricultural
projects and education.
Beginning in the 70’s, Jordan provided the bedouins with
cheap housing, leading to the building of Rum village
around the existing Desert Patrol fort, the school and the
Resthouse. The latter was built for the shooting of the
movie Lawrence of Arabia.
Running water, electricity, phone lines and recently high
speed internet are available in the village.
Changing generational socio-economic lifestyles

Tourism
Tourists have been enjoying Wadi Rum for quite some time
despite it being a secondary stop for most first time
visitors to Jordan. People will think of Petra and the
Christian Landmarks as the focus and highlight of their visit.
However, authorities have used the Lawrence of Arabia
story, and of course the movie, to promote a touristic site
in Southern Jordan, between Petra and Aqaba. A large
majority of tourists visit the site on package tours, spending
only a few hours inside, generally accompanied by a tour
leader and/or a jordanian non bedouin guide
At first Wadi Rum was promoted as a site of cultural
interest. It is nowadays regarded as a site of natural
interest, as well, for its landscapes and its geological
formations. As a result, the Bedu are having to adapt to the
complex and ever changing demands of the tourists which
has led to a creation of a new relationship between the
Bedouin and the place. For example, as tourist maps
developed by outsiders introduce new vocabulary to the
Bedouin, their own language is slowly affected.
Changing generational socio-economic lifestyles

No collection exists on Bedu traditional medicine, but some
anecdotal indications have been found:
Fire cure...Placing red-hot coals on the body healing points for
relief of chronic pain (on the head in case of headache or on
the leg in case of sciatica for example)
Use of herbal medicine to cure a cold, or stomach pane
Use of massage oil with venom to prevent/delay lethal
consequences of scorpion’s bite
Use of charms, amulets and stones
Bedu Traditional Medicine

The saluki is one of the oldest breed of domestic dog.
Salukis appear on egyptian tombs from 2100 BC. They
were often mummified.
In muslim culture dogs are often seen as unclean. But the
saluki is given a different status by the Arab culture,
Saluki Greyhounds especially the bedouin. The breed is treasured by the
bedouin who value them, breed them for the beauty and
the hunting. Saluki can be trained to hunt along with
falcons.
A saluki, instead of being seen as unclean, often sleeps in
tents with the owners, to be protected from the heat of
the day and the cold of the night.
Some families in Wadi Rum still own a saluki greyhound,
for the same reasons : the beauty of the dog, its kindness
and the hunting.

The principal goal of the project is to safeguard the main
features of the lifestyle and oral expressions of the Bedu
that have developed in Wadi Rum region over the
Project Mission course of millennia and that are being lost due to
inevitable societal changes.
The action plan revolves around two projects:
* The collection and intergenerational transmission of
oral heritage;
* The transmission and adaptation of knowledge and
know-how.
The overriding mission will be to capture the Bedu and
their traditions, as they would see them not as a
reinforcement of stereotype or tourist cliche.
The project has been developed and will be executed in
direct collaboration with the Bedu of Wadi Rum.
The final products must be of value to the Bedu for
generations to come as a living record of their customs,
traditions, and sense of identity.

In July, we will embark on a mission to participate in and
record many facets of the Bedouin lifestyle, social system,
traditions, medicine and oral history. This is the first phase
Project Plan of a two year project that will use the best practices of
media anthropology including video, photography,
recordings, journalism and art. The result from this first
three week session will be:
- an itinerant immersive multi-media exhibit across
Europe to raise awareness of the Bedouins and their
society;
- broadcasts through European and arabic news services
such as Al-jazeera and BBC Arabic as well as Western
media; and
- A dvd with accompanying text for schools and
universities.
Team:
‣ Project Co-Founders, Mark Abouzeid (Photojournalist/
Project manager) and Ingrid Bouilliart (Lobbyist/Wadi
Rum Liason)
‣ Media Anthroplogy, Nora Mertens
‣ Physiotherapy and tribal medecine, Celine Vanderput
‣ Video and audio specialist, Frank Coles
‣ Bedouin logistics, Attayak + 3
‣ Arab translator, Rima Musa
‣ Interns/assistants: 7 persons

activities dress
✓ hunting party playing
Project Execution
✓ breadmaking
bedouin character
✓ daily life
✓ honor
✓ tracking
✓ warrior
✓ training camel racing
✓ revenge
✓ firemaking & desert cooking
✓ individualism
✓ making goat cheese
✓ desert driving tribal law & governance
✓ goat herding ✓ blood price
✓ tribal protection
traditional medicine
✓ Scorpion medicine marriage customs
✓ fire medicine ✓ second wife
✓ medicinal plants ✓ wedding
✓ divorce
art
✓ courtship
✓ music
✓ economic aspects
✓ dance
territories
oral history
✓ tribe
✓ stories
✓ family
✓ myths
✓ tradition
✓ folklore
tent living
✓ hospitality
✓ daily routine
✓ moving camp
✓ the role of the central fire

The Bedouin Heritage Project has developed a program
for qualified interns to work and learn in the field while
assisting in a worthwhile undertaking.
Internship Program “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to join a project
of global importance, to meet another people and learn
to see the world through their eyes.
This is the moment to become a part of something
significant while working in every aspect of planning,
production and delivery. “
Students will work side to side with team members
gaining first-hand experience and will be credited in final
product.
While working students will explore the desert, learn to
cook as a bedouin, ride camels, feel the true power of a
four wheel drive jeep and so much more.... but more than
anything, students will shoot photos in one of the world’s
most unique deserts.