The ancient agricultural town of As-Salt is the administrative centre of west-central Jordan and the capital of the Balqa Governorate. Situated in the Balqa highland, the city has a population of around 100,000 inhabitants. Built on the cluster of three fertile hills, the city is famed for its quality of fruit and vegetable production, particularly grapes, olives, tomatoes, and grains.

Salt is known as the most historic town in Jordan, with its golden age at the end of the 19^th century. As the most important settlement in the area between the Jordan Valley and the eastern desert, As-Salt grew from a simple peasant village into a town with many architecturally elegant buildings, many of which still remain today.