Amman — Amid the stone walls, doors and windows of old houses, and the alleys and markets of Salt, which preserve the stories of successive generations, the city is preparing to revisit part of its historical and human heritage through the national event “Salt: History and Civilization,” scheduled for next Saturday.
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Initiated by the Association of Christians of the East in Jordan, in cooperation with official and civil society institutions, the event was announced two days ago. It aims to highlight the city’s architectural and cultural heritage while strengthening awareness of national identity and Jordan’s collective memory.
The event comes as part of ongoing efforts to support the Jordanian national narrative advocated by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II. The initiative seeks to document the country’s history and present it to younger generations by connecting historical landmarks with the stories of the people who lived in them and helped shape the city’s cultural and social identity.
The initiative holds particular significance for Salt, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2021 as a model of tolerance and urban hospitality. Its distinctive urban and social fabric reflects a long history of interaction and coexistence among its communities, as well as the relationship between people and place across generations.
The programme features 10 historical and heritage routes, allowing visitors to explore the city’s old neighbourhoods, markets and landmarks and discover their architectural features and social and cultural stories.
The programme will also include a celebratory procession of cyclists and classic cars, starting at Salt Secondary School and passing through the heritage routes. The procession is being organized in cooperation with the relevant authorities, the Balqa Tourism Directorate and the Salt Development Corporation, alongside various activities highlighting community participation and the city’s connection to its heritage.
Speaking about the event’s preparations, Lina Masharbeh, chair of the organizing committee for the national Salt narrative event, said efforts were underway to involve young people by coordinating with the Ministry of Education and the Jordan Tourism Board to enable around 150 university students to participate. The aim is to introduce them to the city’s history and heritage and involve them in documenting the event and passing its details on to future generations.
Masharbeh said this participation was particularly important given young people’s heavy reliance on social media and digital information, which may include unverified historical accounts. She stressed the need to provide direct opportunities to explore historical landmarks and learn about the sources of knowledge associated with them.
She emphasized that the initiative goes beyond introducing historical buildings and their architectural beauty. It also seeks to revive the memories, traditions and experiences of local people, which form an essential part of the city’s identity. The land, stonework and historic details are not merely reminders of the past; they preserve human stories that help explain the connection between generations and their roots, even as lifestyles and cities change.
Meanwhile, Amer Shibli, director of the Balqa Culture Directorate, said the Ministry of Culture continues to hold a national dialogue, under the guidance of the minister, on the Jordanian narrative advocated by the Crown Prince. He described it as a national and cultural project aimed at highlighting the features of Jordanian identity, revisiting key moments in the country’s history and showcasing the achievements that contributed to building the state.
Shibli added that a series of previous meetings would culminate in the launch of a national conference on the Jordanian narrative in Balqa Governorate, specifically in Salt. The conference is intended to provide a platform for dialogue and coordinated efforts, leading to a vision that strengthens national identity, reinforces a sense of belonging and safeguards Jordan’s collective memory.
He noted that the event was initially proposed under a name linked directly to the Jordanian narrative, before organisers adopted “Salt: History and Civilization,” which he said better reflects its scope and objectives. “Talking about Salt cannot be separated from Jordan’s history and civilization,” he said, explaining that the aim extends beyond introducing the city’s history to highlighting the civilizations that succeeded one another there, in line with the broader Jordanian narrative project and its role in connecting future generations with their heritage.
For his part, Mahmoud Arabiyat, director of the Balqa Tourism Directorate, said preserving heritage was a shared responsibility, with every member of society having a role to play in protecting national identity and safeguarding historical memory. He stressed the importance of passing this heritage on to future generations and raising young people’s awareness of their history and traditions.
Arabiyat added that Jordan is rich in history, civilization and heritage, and that preserving this legacy is not simply about remembering the past. Rather, it is a national responsibility towards the present and the future, helping strengthen generations’ connection to their land and identity.
Discussing the role of the Salt Development Corporation, its director, Khaldoun Khreisat, said the national narrative project represented an important milestone in documenting Jordan’s history and cultural heritage. He praised the efforts of the corporation’s successive boards of directors since 1982 and their contributions to supporting books and publications that document the country’s history and strengthen its national narrative.
Khreisat added that the project, which began on a limited scale, is now developing into a broader national initiative. He stressed the importance of continuing to develop it and launching its next phase from Salt, whose historical and cultural heritage makes it well suited to serve as a starting point for a project that documents national memory and introduces future generations to Jordan’s history and identity.
The “Salt: History and Civilization” initiative welcomes city residents, Jordanians and those interested in history and heritage to take part in its activities. The event is built on cooperation among official institutions, civil society organizations and the local community, including craftspeople, clubs and cultural bodies.
Masharbeh reaffirmed that the Association of Christians of the East in Jordan believes preserving heritage and safeguarding national memory are collective responsibilities. She said Salt was chosen because of its distinctive historical and cultural character and its status as a model of diversity, coexistence and partnership among the different components of Jordanian society.
The invitation to participate underscores the importance of uniting efforts to preserve heritage and highlight its value not as a past detached from the present, but as part of a national identity that is renewed through knowledge, documentation and practice and passed from one generation to the next, as the speakers at the event agreed.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Taghreed Al-Saaydeh
