Al-Salat: A town built during the Ottoman Empire that is rich in traditions of religious tolerance and hospitality.
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| Al-Salat: A town built during the Ottoman Empire that is rich in traditions of religious tolerance and hospitality. |
The sound of the dawn call began to resound in the dream valley, and shortly thereafter the first rays of the sun began to illuminate the houses made of golden limestone on the slopes of the three mountains.
From the domes of the city, the muezzin's voice rose, "Allahu Akbar." From the loudspeakers of the minarets, shining like a beautiful image on the uneven ground, the voice of Hayat-e-Ali Salat (Come to Prayer) was being raised.
Moments later, the bustling streets of the city resound with the sound of church bells announcing the morning gathering.
We were in Al-Salat, the newest city in the Middle East to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This small town in Jordan, where the minarets of mosques and churches look up to each other in the sky, has been described as a place of tolerance and civic hospitality."
Located at the crossroads of trade and tourism between the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, Al-Sult emerged as a rapidly developing city in the late 19th century during the Reformation era to "modernize" the Ottoman Empire.
In the historic center of the city, hundreds of limestone buildings, arched doors, carved pillars and high windows, built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, glow in the sun.
Tahira Arabiyat is embroidering scarves in her shop
Tahira Arabiyat, who teaches traditional embroidery to local women, poured me a cup of fragrant coffee with cardamom and said, "Yellow stone buildings are important, but Alsalt is not unique just because of them."
We were sitting in his small shop in the middle of the city, surrounded by embroidered dresses and scarves, where I first saw him sewing a traditional Jordanian scarf 'shamagh'. He stopped his work to tell me more about his hometown.
The Arabs, after filling my cup for the second time, said, "What really makes this city unique and special is the people here and their generosity." They then asked me, "Have you had breakfast?" Come eat with me. '
Walking through the winding streets and narrow streets of the city, I received repeated invitations for lunch, coffee or tea. Hospitality and the cultural traditions of this hospitality are deeply rooted in power.
For centuries, the city has been an important stop for traders and visitors to Jerusalem, Damascus, Baghdad, or Mecca. The locals would welcome the guests and provide them with food and accommodation.
Al-Salat became the administrative headquarters of the region in the 19th century, attracting traders from various religious and cultural backgrounds. Many settled in the mountain town, setting up neighborhoods and residential areas, mingling with local Bedouin tribes and merchants and artisans from the region of Syria and Iraq.
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| When Amman was chosen as the capital of the East Jordanian Emirate (Trans-Jordan) in 1928, Al-Salat lost its regional significance |
Al-Salat has about 650 prominent historic buildings that offer a beautiful blend of European and Ottoman architecture.
"Al-Salat has become a crossroads between the east and the west, between the desert and the city centers," said Ayman Abu Roman, a former director of tourism in Balqa, one of Jordan's 12 provinces. According to him, this diversity of the city is reflected in its architecture.
The best example of a combination of Ottoman style, European influences and local traditions in this city may be Abu Jaber House, built of local limestone but with Italian fresco style carvings on the roofs.
The house, made of stained glass windows, decorative pillars and local Syrian ceramic tiles in the style of late 19th century European art 'Novo', is a masterpiece of beautiful architecture. The house belonged to Abu Jabir, a wealthy merchant family who settled in Al-Salat in the late 19th century.
In 2009 the house was turned into a museum that now introduces visitors to the history and traditions of the Ottoman town.
When Amman was chosen as the capital of the East Jordanian Emirate (Trans-Jordan) in 1928, Al-Salat lost its regional significance. Despite the extensive construction and development of the new city of Oman, Al-Salat has managed to retain its historic role.
For Rami Zahir, a Jordanian architect who prepared the city's nomination file for the World Heritage List, the city is unique not only because of its historic limestone buildings but also because of its centuries of hospitality and tolerance. Has preserved the traditions of
Rami Zahir says, “The geographical shape of the city has fostered a sense of community and closeness. Neighbors live very close to each other and support each other in many different ways.
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| Shara Hammam is a small, crowded street, named after Turkish baths. |
The network of interconnected stairs, shared courtyards and intersections has encouraged the development of a tolerant, multi-faith society and a sense of belonging to the common space. Most traditional buildings have communal courtyards or terraces where neighbors can cook, eat and drink together.
As we sat in a room at the Abu Jaber Museum with beautiful views of the city's mountains, Abu Roman said, "People still live here as if they were part of the same family, there is no separation between them. '
He pointed to the square in front of the museum, where elders from different backgrounds meet every day playing backgammon and maneuver, an ancient board game popularized by the Ottomans. Then he pointed to the mosque and the church in front.
Shara Hammam is a small, crowded street, named after Turkish baths.
He said the church faces the mosque and has only one entrance. Muslims and Christians participate in each other's celebrations. They share their belongings with their neighbors. "
This atmosphere of communion is perhaps most evident in the city's oldest church. The church was built in 1682 around a cave where a shepherd is said to have seen St. George. The church is known in Arabic as Al-Khidr, an Islamic figure who is St. George in the area according to Christian beliefs.
The stone inner arches of the church are filled with icons and mosaics depicting St. George beating the bells. Visitors to the remaining parts of the cave light candles and leave their handwritten prayers.
Sabreen Dabbana, who works at the local Orthodox Church's dormitory of the Virgin Mary, says "both Muslims and Christians go to this place to ask for prayers. Everyone is welcome here."
Dabbana told me that it is this interfaith harmony that makes the kingdom special and very unique.
"The church administrator Ali, who works with me, is a Muslim," he said. There is no difference between us. We live here like siblings.
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