Jordan is preparing to add another UNESCO World Heritage Site to its list, which already includes five recognized locations.
As-Salt, a historic agricultural town in west-central Jordan, has been put forward for nomination as a World Heritage Site. The town’s nomination will be presented during the 41st session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, taking place July 5–12, where Jordan’s tourism minister, Lina Annab, will lead the delegation. A dedicated local team of specialists has been assembled to coordinate the nomination process with the Department of Antiquities and the Greater Salt Municipality.
Located along the old main highway that once linked Amman with Jerusalem, As-Salt occupies a natural bend formed by three hills near the Jordan Valley. One of these hills, Jabal al-Qal’a, is crowned by the ruins of a 13th-century fortress. Historically, As-Salt was the principal settlement between the Jordan Valley and the Eastern Desert and served as a key commercial and administrative hub. Its strategic position as a trading link between the desert interior and the western regions made it an important center for successive regional rulers.
At present, Jordan’s UNESCO World Heritage list includes Petra, Um er-Rasas, Wadi Rum, the Baptism Site (Bethany beyond the Jordan) and Qusayr Amra. In addition to As-Salt’s nomination, fourteen other sites remain on Jordan’s tentative list for future nomination.