First published: 16/06/25.

Frédéric M 1.0

As-Salt

As-Salt (Inscribed)

As-Salt by Els Slots

I visited As-Salt in February 2025 from Amman. By asking some very helpful men, I managed to find the very cheap minibus to As-Salt from the North bus terminal in Amman. The minibus dropped me off directly at the entrance to the city. For the return journey, the logistics were just as simple, but it's worth noting that the minibuses leave from down the hill, after the flea market.

I began my stroll through the city on Prince Hasan Bin Talal Street, where you'll find a few rather pretty buildings (the Mismar House at number 21, but see also the one at number 37 with its twisted columns). I then moved on to the city's most impressive mansion, the Abu Jaber Museum (on the left in the photo, with its reddish roof). Here you'll find a tourist information center and some rather uninteresting exhibits. The maps described by previous reviewers were only available in Arabic when I visited. I then climbed up to the Haj Hamdi Mosque Alanis to enjoy the plunging views over the city (photo). The amazement was not there, however. As-Salt isn't particularly pretty, with its faded buildings and exposed electric wires. The architecture and use of yellow stone didn't even strike me as harmonious. I then went back downstairs and visited St George's Church. The houses in the streets of this area are probably the prettiest in As-Salt, some with colorful shutters, doors or balconies. I continued with a visit to the souk on Al Hammam Street, where all the more imposing buildings were closed (the mosque, the Assumption of Our Lady church). This rather banal shopping street was nothing original compared to the others I've seen in the Middle East. I ended my visit at the As-Salt Archaeological Museum, included in the Jordan Pass. There was nothing stunning about it.

As-Salt is not an unpleasant town to visit. But I found nothing to justify its inclusion on the World Heritage List. Unlike Els, I don't believe in putting up with this site any more than necessary (I take tons of photos and only took 73 here). I was able to cover it all in two hours and then return to Amman to see more impressive monuments and enjoy a Turkish bath, which was the nicest part of that day.

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