AMMAN — On the road to As-Salt, a stretch that holds multiple meanings in Jordan's collective memory celebrated in folk songs, chants, and stories begins the tale of a city that cannot be reached without first journeying through its memory. From Al-Kamaliyah, tied to the memories of generations of Jordanians, past sites harboring stories of the place and its people, down to As-Salt itself, the road feels like a lengthy overture to a city that chose to weave its history into its present.
اضافة اعلان
At the entrance of As-Salt stands "As-Salt Heritage House," adding a new facility to the landscape. It exists not merely as another structure along the city highway, but as a venue where social, cultural, artistic, and tourism activities intersect, offering youth, children, families, and visitors a community space to connect and explore the city.
As-Salt, inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list, is no longer discussed solely as a city of yellow stone houses, ancient architecture, and decades-old memories, but as a vibrant urban destination welcoming visitors while reintroducing its heritage to new generations.
Nestled among As-Salt’s pathways, stairways, terraced mountain homes, markets, and local lore, the need arose for spaces to embrace community life. "As-Salt Heritage House" serves as a venue bringing these elements together under one roof.
The As-Salt Heritage House building was inaugurated under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration, Eng. Walid Al-Masri, in the presence of former Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, alongside ministers, MPs, officials, and representatives of civic and public organizations.
Al-Masri stated that "As-Salt House" represents a model public-private partnership (PPP) project that creates employment opportunities and serves the local community. He emphasized that the role of municipalities extends beyond basic service provision to fostering local economic development and investment.
He noted that As-Salt has achieved key milestones in recent years, chief among them its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list, alongside heritage, tourism, and development projects such as the Uqba Bin Nafi project and "As-Salt House."
In a city where heritage forms a core part of its tourism identity, "As-Salt House" aims to leverage this presence by establishing a venue equipped to host conferences, exhibitions, forums, and events, alongside commercial, service, recreational, and athletic activities.
Project Scale and Architectural Details
Located in the Al-Sarw area, the project spans a plot of land measuring approximately 8,000 square meters, with a total built-up area of around 4,000 square meters distributed across four floors. It includes courtyards, gardens, and parking facilities for over 200 vehicles, built at a total cost of approximately 6.5 million JOD.
The building features a multi-purpose hall spanning nearly 1,150 square meters, designed to accommodate various event setups, complete with seven entry points for flexible movement and access. The design allows independent utilization of each floor, opening opportunities for diverse investments and activities.
Architectural elements serve as a focal point of the design. The building is centered around a glass dome measuring approximately 13.5 meters in diameter and 4.5 meters in height—among the largest executed in the Kingdom. Designed with double-layer insulated glass and adorned with decorative artistic glass elements, it provides a distinctive visual landmark.
The facility accommodates accessibility requirements for persons with disabilities and features infrastructure built to modern engineering specifications.
Ali Radwan Al-Batayneh, head of the As-Salt Municipal Committee, stated that "As-Salt House" completes a long-awaited municipal project, enhancing the city’s economic and investment infrastructure, driving local commerce, and expanding capacity for major events.
According to Al-Batayneh, the project aims to create job opportunities for local residents and stimulate the regional economy, with expectations to generate over 300 jobs alongside municipal revenue.
As As-Salt continues to position itself as a heritage and cultural tourism destination, "As-Salt House" integrates historical preservation into contemporary economic development, daily community life, and local job creation.
The city of As-Salt remains one of the Kingdom's prominent historical destinations, home to over a thousand heritage houses mostly dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These structures are characterized by local yellow limestone, arches, wrought-iron balconies, and painted ceilings, forming an architectural landscape that earned As-Salt its spot on the World Heritage list.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Taghreed Al-Sa'adeh
