As-Salt Secondary School

As-Salt Secondary School is one of the oldest schools in Jordan and still operates as an active educational institution. The building dates from the early twentieth century and stands as one of the more imposing examples of Ottoman civic architecture in the town. Its history is intimately connected with Salt's former role as the administrative and cultural capital of the Balqa region.

The school is not generally open for tourism, but the exterior is worth seeing from the street. It represents the Ottoman administration's investment in modern education in their provincial cities — Salt was considered important enough to receive a proper secondary school at a time when much of the surrounding region had nothing comparable.

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A story
Founded in 1918, As-Salt Secondary School is known locally as 'the mother of Jordanian schools' — it was one of the first modern secondary schools established in what is now Jordan, and its alumni include a disproportionate number of figures who went on to shape Jordanian political and cultural life in the twentieth century. The building itself is a fine example of the institutional Ottoman style, more formal than the merchant houses but equally well-constructed from the local limestone.