MEET JORDAN’S SMALLEST STREET LIBRARY

By Perla Staff Writer

AMMAN (PERLA)—Nestled in the narrow streets of Jebal El Webdeh within the lively area of Amman, there exists a distinctive and exceptional book library that remains resilient against the passage of time, the elements, and technological advancements. 

This is not your average library nor your average bookstore, this is an extraordinary outlet for bookworms and serious collectors of rare books which are cramped inside an old rusty VW van waiting for someone to discover the treasures that lay within and there are many.

“My father Hamzah taught me that books are a witness of history and each book tells a story, a thought or even a feeling and today I am walking on the same path my father walked before me and I feel this library is my second home,” Ahmad Ma’aytah told Perla.

“The library consists of a selection of various publications in several languages and different conditions and the books cover a host of subjects that could be of an interest to the different readers who tend to pass by and either ask for a certain title or just look for one,” he added.

What makes this library a treat to the eyes is not only the VW van but also the rare selection of titles that go back to the 1920s and even before.

“We have several titles that are really very rare like this book that goes back to 1850 and others which were printed in 1920 and 1960. There are also some new books which readers can buy and return to exchange them with another ones,” he said.

Ahmad enjoys reading various books and he sits whenever he has the time just to read about technology, business and poetry.

“In my opinion, people around the world are either readers or not and I am one of the people who enjoys reading and discovering new things. In this area, which mainly crowded with tourists, books are always a thing to buy and enjoy,” he said.

“I work here for more than 8 hours and during this time, I meet many people who are driven first by the passion to find “the” book or by their curiosity to take photos which is ok as I see it a very interesting response to this unique project,” he added.

The library has hundreds of books with many titles that could drive readers’ interest along the streets of the old Jebal El Webdeh which was transformed into a lively area visited by locals and tourists alike.  

 The van took more than four years to establish and today despite the Internet and eBooks revolution, the van still has its own dedicated crowd who sees buying a rare book from the back of a van is a true luxury.