Salt, Jordan
The Great Mosque of Salt is the oldest mosque in Salt and the heart of its old town, standing on Al-Ain Plaza in the city centre within the area UNESCO inscribed in 2021 as a World Heritage Site, "As-Salt, the Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality". The mosque's roots most likely go back to the Mamluk period, when the emir Sayf al-Din Tankiz founded a school on the site in 1333 known as the Sayfiyya madrasa; it was rebuilt on the old foundation under the Ottomans in the 19th century, and is remembered as having been built of mud and straw before it was raised in stone. In 1965 the old building was demolished because of structural faults, the present mosque was built from 1974, and it was restored and enlarged between 2007 and 2015 to take its current form. It is built of the yellow limestone for which Salt is famous, with a minaret at the south-eastern corner and a dome, and shops attached to it that once housed the Islamic court, so it is mosque, market and meeting place in one. From Al-Ain Plaza in front of it branches Hammam Street, the best-known market of old Salt, and the city's churches and the Abu Jaber House lie a few steps away, a picture of the neighbourliness between Muslims and Christians for which Salt is known.
The mosque is in use for the five daily prayers and Friday prayer, so Muslim visitors can stop here to pray midway through a walk around the old town; non-Muslims should visit outside prayer times, dressed modestly, with women covering their hair. Late afternoon is the best time, when the plaza fills with people and the yellow stone takes the light, and the restaurants and cafes of neighbouring Hammam Street are all halal. Combine it with the Historic Old Salt Museum and the Harmony Trail in a half day from Amman.
Hours and prices change — check before you go. Source: ar.wikipedia.org
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