A good break from the Jordan tourist mass. As-Salt, Jordan.

Not fare from Amman busy capital, but still in the atmosphere of fascinating contrasts, we find the ancient town As-Salt. As-Salt was once the most important settlement in the area between the Jordan Valley and the eastern desert. We went there for the morning, trying to capture the real Jordanian life, far from the touristic eyes. Because of its history as an important trading link between the eastern desert and the west, it was a significant place for the region’s many rulers. The Romans, Byzantines and Mamlukes all contributed to the growth of the town but it was at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, during Ottoman rule, when As-Salt enjoyed its most prosperous period. It was at that time that the Ottomans established a regional administrative base in As-Salt and encouraged settlement from other parts of their empire. As the town’s status increased, many merchants arrived and, with their newly acquired wealth, built the fine houses that can still be admired in As-Salt today. These splendid yellow sandstone buildings incorporate a variety of local and European styles. Typically, they have domed roofs, interior courtyards and tall, arched windows. Perhaps the most beautiful is the Abu Jaber mansion, built between 1892 and 1906, which has frescoed ceilings, painted by Italian artists, and is reputed to be the finest example of a19th century merchant house in the region. Besides its beauty, some restoration works are urgently needed. There is also a small museum and a handicraft school where you can admire the traditional skills of ceramics, weaving, silk-screen printing and dyeing. As-Salt also has an interesting market street, with some every day life products, such as vegetables and spices, and other goods for kitchen and cooker’s lovers. As-Salt is located 29 kilometers northwest from the centre of Amman and can be easily reached within a half-hour drive. As-Salt is a good break from the Jordan tourist mass, and a good spot for tasting the Jordanian life.