Latin Church in As-Salt, Catholic church in As-Salt, Jordan

The Latin Church is a church building in the Old Town of As-Salt featuring high cross-vaulted ceilings supported by eight triple rounded columns with Corinthian capitals carved from yellow limestone. These columns form the architectural backbone of the interior space and define its proportions.

The French missionary Jean Moritain designed the church in 1870, and construction lasted sixteen years. In 1880 Father Giuseppe Gatti had a second church built above the original one to enlarge it, using skilled workers brought from Beit Sahour and Beit Jala. The building was opened in 1886, at the end of Ottoman rule in the Levant.

The church serves as a center for the Christian community in As-Salt and reflects the influence of foreign missionary work on the town. It continues to shape the religious character of the area through its role alongside other places of worship.

The church stands in the old centre of As-Salt, a UNESCO World Heritage site, within a complex that also holds a monastery, a private school and several shops. The building was completed and opened in 1886, so allow time to walk the surrounding heritage trail on foot. Visitors enter a working Catholic parish, so dress modestly and keep to areas that are not in use for services.

The building also holds a shrine to Marie Alphonsine Ghattas, founder of the Rosary Sisters, who lived in As-Salt for years in the 19th century. The church complex includes a monastery, missionary facilities, a private school and several shops.