I was commissioned by Amman Design week to create and offer a themed and thoughtful walking tour of the city. This drew me to 'Shabsogh' street, which I was interested in for a variety of reasons. It is a street that historically housed a more affluent community of Circassian migrants and refugees who made Jordan their home after their genocide in the 1860's. But as Amman's dense downtown area began to grew, this one street became a face of so many inter-urban relationships.
I had initially started by purchasing silk-screen supplies from there, but then began to work, park and engage with its residents during my thesis project An Urban Reflection (2012). With time, I learnt that this pocket also became a social and commercial 'home' for the South Asian diasporic community- which became a nod to my South Asian heritage.
My first walk through tour of ‘Shabsogh’ street highlighted how it houses a number of industries like silk screen paint, pigment shops, and an assortment of fabric shops with endless prints and patterns. We visited a falafel restaurant with ornate ceilings, sub-continental restaurants that cater food supplies to Jordan’s domestic and factory workers, my mother’s spice cabinet, and more. Each destination was recommended by the stop before –- allowing a map to form organically.
My second tour returned to ‘Shabsogh’ street, but took in the surroundings are a much slow pace, encouraging mindfulness, and a closer look at the green, urban pockets, flora and fauna that were growing in pavements, pipes, window sills and walls, inviting participants to become more aware of the urban ecosystems that surround them.
These immersive, sensory experiences culminated in a creative mapping exercise at the Duke’s Design Center further up the road, over a cup of coffee and knafeh. Participants brought along tools for documentation: cameras, sketchbooks, an openness to the stories and people they encounter along the way, and an appetite.