The city of Al-Salt is the fourth largest city in Jordan by population.
On the outskirts of the city, there is the shrine and mausoleum of the Prophet Yusha bin Nun, whose construction dates back to the era of the Ottoman Empire.
The Turkish Martyrs’ Memorial is located in it, in which are the remains of 300 Ottoman soldiers who died in the First World War (1918-1914).
On July 27, 2017, UNESCO included the city in the World Heritage List.

30 km from the capital Amman, and on the slopes of the Balqa Heights, is the city of Salt, the fourth most populous city in the Kingdom. It was called in the past “Saltos”, in relation to the Greek leader who conquered it during the time of Alexander the Great and built a temple for the god “Zeus” in the “Ze” area. ..

As soon as its visitor enters the place, he finds a warm welcome that is less than equal, for generosity is an attribute of the general public to its people.

“Abish (there is no) is sweeter than Salt” is a well-known saying in Jordan. Through it and through it, all distances are reduced to its visitors, and the idea of ​​its nature arrives before entering its alleys, alleys, and old streets, and the depth of history and its authenticity testify to its heritage buildings scattered throughout the city.

Religious coexistence that you do not find anywhere else, the church bell rings and the ears are raised, the Christian is the neighbor of the Muslim, they are united by love and affection, their mourning is sadness for all, and in the joys they share, the youngest before the oldest.

On June 27, the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization “UNESCO” decided to approve the inclusion of Salt, “the city of tolerance and civilized hospitality,” on the World Heritage List.

In order to find out the most prominent features of the Jordanian city following the issuance of the decision of the United Nations, the Anatolia reporter visited Al-Salt, and was briefed on its heritage, civilization and the most important sites in it.

** Role-sharing community

The start was from Al-Ain Square, where groups of men from Al-Salt, who are over sixty years old, are sitting under the shade of their trees. They amuse themselves with traditional games they inherited from their ancestors, namely, the table and the mancala, and their gathering disperses by raising the back call to prayer.

The square, according to what Ibrahim Al-Masry (63 years old), told Anatolia, bears its name in relation to the three springs in which it was located, and is, as he described it, “the largest population gathering in the history of the Jordanian state.”

By exiting the square, the guests of Salt must pass through the “Al-Iskandarani” restaurant, which is located in a building more than 150 years old.

According to what the owner of the restaurant, Muhammad Bakir, said, the name of the restaurant is attributed to the founders of the place, namely his uncles, who came from the Alexandretta Brigade in Turkey, who left clear fingerprints through the designs of the “contracts” that characterize the old Ottoman building.

Bakir added, “The popular salad dishes are what is served in the restaurant, and in order to achieve the principle of community empowerment, all the items offered are home-made, mastered by the hands of the city’s women.”

Khaled Al-Saleem, head of the “Al-Salt Youth Unit” (voluntary, established in 2016), described the youth of his city, as “men since their childhood. The child feels his masculinity since his childhood. The age difference between them, and vice versa.

As for its women, their role is no less than that of men in building the Sultanate society. Rima Artima, a society woman and activist, confirmed that “women in Salt share societal roles with men, and they have an active role in various fields. Education based on the constants, values ​​and customs of the people of the city is what distinguishes them, as well as their participation in various charitable and voluntary projects aimed at the advancement of power.”

** Church, mosque, and dress of the bride

On the outskirts of the city, the shrine and shrine of the Prophet Yushua bin Nun, whose construction dates back to the era of the Ottoman Empire, was renovated during the reign of the current King Abdullah II in 2004, and next to it is a mosque of the same name overlooking the Jordan Valley, the mountains of the West Bank and the city of Jerusalem.

In the center, the “Al-Khidr” Church, known as “St. Georgios Church”, whose construction dates back to 1682, receives tourists from different countries of the world, in addition to locals, Muslims and Christians.

As soon as he enters the “Bayt Khairat Al-Salt”, which is dedicated to the traditional costumes of Salti women, the visitor is confronted with a large dress called “Al-Khalaqa”, which is the dress of the bride, which dates back to 1862.

The owner of the house, Thaera Arabiyat, who specializes in this field, indicated that “this dress (the creation) is made of English tobit cloth, which is taken from the silkworm, and it is one hundred percent natural.”

And she continued, “The dress is characterized by its coldness in summer and warmth in winter, and the amount of fabric made from it is between 16-22 cubits (the arm from the first finger to the beginning of the shoulder, approximately 90 cm), and that size varies according to the size of the bride, it may increase or decrease.”

She added: “The creation is divided into 85 pieces, distributed on the armbands (right and left), the circle (the bottom of the dress), the banayek (its sides) and the neck of the chest, and a belt made of wool called the safifa is placed on the waist.”

And she added, “Its main use is for the bride, then it later became for occasions, and when the woman grows old, it turns into the dress of daily life.”

** Turkish martyrs

Located in Al-Salt, the Turkish Martyrs’ Memorial, which contains the remains of 300 Ottoman soldiers, who died in the First World War (1918-1914), defending their country against the British.

The edifice was built during the reign of the late King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan and the former President of the Republic of Turkey, Suleiman Demirel, in 1994.

On June 28, 2004, the edifice was renovated, and it was opened again on August 14 of the same year.

The edifice includes a museum of photographs, which document the heroism of the Ottoman army and its operations in the region, as well as a model of the military uniforms, which were worn by officers and soldiers at that time.

The edifice has become a sanctuary for Arab and Turkish tourists, who visit it throughout the year. Upon entering it, they find a mural on which the names of the martyrs are written, so that their honorable sacrifices remain present throughout the ages.

The edifice belongs to the Turkish Ministry of Defense, where it owned the land on which it is located, while the military attaché at the Turkish Embassy in Jordan supervises it.

Anatolia