Revitalizing the old trade route The
Qasr A-Sir Eco Khan is an initiative to renovate a small area in the center of the village that will serve as a multi functional facility for eco-tourism, gathering arena, workshops and language school, empowering the community financially and inspiring ownership of the public places and livelihood.
Qasr A-Sir lies on an ancient caravan road that connected the Arabia peninsula with the Middle East and has served for generations as a stopover station for traders, soldiers and nomads. The name 'Qasr' means fortress - and the remnants of that ancient fortress are still apparent at the entrance to the village. The residents of the village have been longing to reconstruct or alternatively renovate the old fortress as a way of reconnecting to their past heritage and providing livelihood to the village.Together with Bustan the residents of the village have started to resurrect a small Khan at the center of the village at what used to be a deserted shack surrounded by an olive groove. Beside the economical benefits, we believe such an initiative has the basic components to increase awareness of the residents to the public sphere and ownership over their livelihoods other than wait for outside assistance.
The Eco Khan will serve as a multi functional facility:
1) An eco tourism facility that will receive groups and individuals and serve as a place of group gathering, conferences and festivals. This place will serve as a gathering place for Jewish and Arab circles and facilitate a spirit of co existence. An authentic Bedouin tent has been erected next to the trees to provide a place to sleep for the groups or individuals. A cooking facility will allow the preparation of authentic Bedouin cuisine to the guests. Contrary to other touristic khans in the area usually set up in lone farms it will reside in the middle of an active village and will also serve the residents, hosting their festivals, weddings, market and gatherings.
2) The office and workshop of the green builders' cooperative, the group of young men whom Bustan helped train for the last 6 months to construct the ecological community center. The builders will start producing mud bricks that will serve as the interior walls of the community center prior to the construction of the building itself.
3) A school of languages and eco-building. The place will serve as an Arabic school for groups coming from outside and will host the
PermaNegev long-term program. It will also function as an English school for local residents. The eco builder group will lead workshops for both local and outside people in mud building techniques, adobe bricks making, cob, earth bags, plastering and mud oven making.
