Al-Salt, Jordan (1/3)

One of the most beautiful places I've seen the Middle East. If you ever go to Jordan, don't forget to spend a full day in Al-Salt!

From Wikipedia:

"It is not known when the city was first inhabited, but it is believed that it was built by the Macedonian army during the reign of Alexander the Great. The town was known as Saltus in Byzantine times and was the seat of abishopric. At this time, the town was considered to be the principal settlement on the East Bank of the Jordan River. The settlement was destroyed by the Mongols and then rebuilt during the reign of the Mamluk sultan Baibars (1260–1277) and became a regional capital once more during the time of the Ottoman Empire. [...]

Salt's heyday was in the late 19th century when traders arrived from Nablus to expand their trading network eastwards beyond the Jordan River. As a result of the influx of newcomers this period saw the rapid expansion of Salt from a simple peasant village into a town with many architecturally elegant buildings, many built in the Nablusi style from the attractive honey-coloured local stone. A large number of buildings from this era survive as of 2009."