Al Salt

Salt is about 28 km N/W of Amman. The name as-Salt comes from the Latin origin “Saltus” meaning the Valley of Trees or “ThickForest”. It was the regional capital during the Byzantine era and the capital of the important province of Al-Balqa during the Islamic period.

In the late 19th century, Salt became an important commercial center and went through a period of rapid expansion. Many buildings from this period survive to the present day. They were built in an architecturally elegant style, using attractive honey-colored local stone wrought-iron balconies.

Right after World War I, the town was the site from which Herbert Samuel, British High Commissioner for Palestine and Trans-Jordan, chose to make his announcement that the British favored self-government for Jordan (which was finally granted in 1921).

You can have a nice afternoon wandering around, drinking coffee at a local coffee shop, and visiting sites such as Share’ al-Hammam, the Museum of Antiquities of Salt, the handicrafts shops, the Latin Church Complex, the shrine of Prophet Ayuob (Biblical Job) and the shrine of Joshua. Future plans are to create a pedestrian mall that links historic buildings, handicrafts shops and other points of interest in the center of Salt.

Nearby, there is Wadi Shuayb, famed for its fertile soil and the quality of its fruits and vegetables. It is believed to be the burial place of Prophet Shuayb (Jethro; Moses’ father in-law).