324. Salṭ, as- | السلط

al-Balqā’ Governorate

Ottoman war memorial - Türk Şehitliği

JADIS no. none

MEGA no. none

Coordinates: 32°02'28.8"N 35°43'29.1"E

32.041333, 35.724750

Plan: well-maintained park at the N slope of the ancient citadel (Qal‘a), to the N of the new Ḥājj Ḥamdi al-Anīs funeral mosque with a piazza giving access to the cave.

Measurements: unknown.

Building Materials: limestone, natural rock.

Preservation: restored, frequently visited by Muslims of Turkish origin.

Inscription(s): The names of the soldiers are written on a memorial column in front of the cave.

Date(s): On Jabal Qal’at is a late Ottoman mass grave holding the mortal remains of about 300 soldiers belonging to the 4^th Army, 48^th Division and the 143, 145 and 191 Infantry Regiments. They fell during the passage of the British army down to the Jordan valley on March 24^th-26^th, 1918. A handful of heroic Infanterists held the stronghold until the last men died. Their corpses had been found in a cave on the citadel hill in 1973, and since November 1989 the site is maintained as a Türkish war memorial. The Qur‘an is being read in the cave daily for 24 hours.

Traveler Reports: none known.

Bibliography: published?