Amman Panoramic Map 1995

While exploring my archive I’ve stumbled upon this map of Amman, it was published by “International Media Services”, as you see their credentials at the map footer.

It’s really a strange thing to find! I don’t recall how it came into my archive.. it’s like seeing a visualised memory directly in my hands. Anway, the map is really interesting, it shows you  the brands, shops, venues and landmarks of Amman two decades ago, I’m sure many of us still remembering few parts of this map, the map of a vivid city who changed a lot.

The map, obviously, was drawn by hand, the artist who done that used some weird orientations, so you find Rainbow street is west of Al-Husseini Mosque and they share the same horizontal level, then you keep going west until you reach Abdoun, a few steps after Abdoun you find yourself in the Queen Alia Airport! Funny..

However, the artist made a good effort to draw the building’s facade, I was impressed to see some iconic buildings of Amman drawn in a nice way, it seems like someone did a big research for photos and logos, and delivered them to the artist’s hands.

Many brands in this map have been extinct, and many are still surviving, but it still Amman that we love!

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Bilingual Typography at the map’s masthead.
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Good job on drawing this building, still exist on the Queen Rania Street.
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Childhood memories at Jollibee restaurant in Shmaisany.
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You can download a high-res photo of the map from here.: https://www.flickr.com/photos/alazaat/27737641776

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Islamic Seals Design

I was impressed with this amazing collection of Islamic seals on different manuscripts from various Islamic cultures and ages, this database was collected by Chester Beatty Library in Dublin from their own fine archive of manuscripts, more than 2600 seal impressions were found and documented!

Yes, 2600!

I’ve picked some of them to share with you, copy rights are reserved to Chester Beatty Library:

 

My next little project is to make one seal for my name inspired by these designs.. stay tuned!

 

Visit to Tareq Rajab Museum

While I was in Kuwait last time, I couldn’t resist visiting Tareq Rajab Museum, I was truly SHOCKED! A massive amount of Islamic pieces from all around the world! I haven’t see such collection at any other museum!

I took couple hundred of photos there, here I selected some to share with you:

1- Calligraphy collection from Syria 

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