“This golden-stone town is UNESCO-listed not just for its architecture but for centuries of tolerance between its Muslim and Christian neighbours.”
About As-Salt Old Town
As-Salt rose to prominence in the Ottoman era as a prosperous trade centre between the Jordan Valley and the desert, attracting merchants whose wealth built its fine limestone houses and civic buildings. Its mixed Muslim and Christian population developed a deep-rooted culture of coexistence and mutual hospitality. In 2021, UNESCO inscribed the old town for both its architecture and this living heritage of tolerance.
What As-Salt Old Town actually is
As-Salt, in the hills northwest of Amman, is a historic Ottoman-era town of golden limestone buildings cascading down three hills, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its architecture and its tradition of tolerance. Often called the 'City of Tolerance', it is celebrated for centuries of harmonious coexistence between its Muslim and Christian communities.
Often called the 'City of Tolerance', it is celebrated for centuries of harmonious coexistence between its Muslim and Christian communities.
A City Built on Coexistence
As-Salt flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a regional trading hub, when merchants built elegant houses and public buildings in distinctive yellow limestone, blending European and local styles. UNESCO recognised the town not only for this architecture but for its intangible heritage of hospitality and tolerance, where Muslims and Christians lived side by side, shared festivals and built a culture of coexistence that endures in its mosques, churches and shared traditions.
The Experience
You wander steep lanes and stairways past honey-coloured Ottoman houses, historic churches and mosques standing close together, lively markets and museums in restored mansions. The Harmony Trail links many of these sights and tells the story of the town's coexistence. The authentic, lived-in atmosphere, the architecture and the warm local hospitality make As-Salt a rewarding, less-touristed stop near Amman.
Why It Matters
As-Salt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves both a remarkable ensemble of Ottoman-era architecture and an inspiring intangible heritage of religious tolerance and hospitality. It offers a glimpse of an older, gentler urban Jordan and works as a symbol of coexistence valued far beyond the country.
As-Salt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that preserves both a remarkable ensemble of Ottoman-era architecture and an inspiring intangible heritage of religious tolerance and hospitality.
Why Visit
A UNESCO-listed Ottoman town of golden limestone near Amman, the 'City of Tolerance', with historic houses, mosques and churches and a heritage of coexistence.
✦ Insider Tips
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Walk the Harmony Trail linking the old town's key sights.
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Note the golden Ottoman-era limestone architecture.
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Mosques and churches stand side by side, a mark of coexistence.
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It is an easy, less-touristed trip from Amman.
