Roofing in Jordan

Jordan's roofing history is written largely in stone. In the north, the basalt town of Umm el-Jimal preserves late antique buildings roofed with long stone slabs on corbels and arches; in the south, the Nabataean city of Petra is "half-built, half-carved" into sandstone cliffs, so many of its spaces are roofed by living rock.

Climate and hazards

Jordan is largely arid, with hot, dry summers and limited winter rain. Wind and rain steadily erode Petra's sandstone monuments, and flash floods down Wadi Musa through the Siq are a risk if the Nabataean water-diversion system is not maintained. Earthquakes are a historic hazard: a major quake in 747 AD destroyed Umm el-Jimal.

Roofing history

Nabataean Petra. The Nabataean civilisation flourished from about the 4th century BC to the 1st century AD. At Petra, tombs and halls such as the Khasneh, the Urn Tomb, the Palace Tomb and the Deir were carved directly into rock, while freestanding buildings such as the Qasr al-Bint temple, baths, a theatre and later Byzantine churches were built in masonry. A carved chamber needs no roof covering in the usual sense: the rock above is the roof, though it still weathers.

Late antique Hauran. In the basalt region of northern Jordan, builders roofed houses, churches and barracks with thin basalt slabs laid on projecting corbels, often two or three rows deep, or on transverse arches of dry-laid blocks. The Julianos Church at Umm el-Jimal dates to 345 AD, and the town had about 15 churches in late antiquity. Lightweight volcanic scoria was used for vaults. See hauran-basalt-corbelled-roofs.

Modern. Flat reinforced concrete roofs are standard in new construction, as across the region.

Traditional and vernacular roofs

• Basalt corbel-and-slab roofs: Hauran region (Umm el-Jimal).
• Arch-and-slab roofs: wider rooms spanned by stone arches carrying slabs.
• Rock-cut chambers: Petra and other Nabataean sites.

Notable roofs

• Petra (UNESCO): rock-cut tombs and temples; freestanding Qasr al-Bint temple.
• Umm el-Jimal: late antique basalt town with corbelled stone roofs, since added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, as reported by the Emirates News Agency.

Sources and gaps

Data on current roofing materials, local roofing terms and information on modern roofing materials, codes and industry in Jordan: published information is limited.