overview

Umm ar-Rasas is located 30 km southeast of Madaba, which is the capital city of the Madaba Governorate in central Jordan.

once accessible by branches of the King’s Highway and situated in the semi-arid steppe region of the Jordanian Desert.

The site allied to the biblical settlement of Mephaat mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. Jordan Tour

The Roman military utilized the site as a strategic garrison, but later converted and Jordan Tour

inhabited by Christian and Islamic communities.

In 2004, the site inscribe as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is value by archaeologists for its

extensive ruins dating to the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods.

history of Umm ar-Rasas

Particularly during the epochs of the Early Bronze Age III-IV, Iron Age II, and Roman-Byzantine eras,

dense populations inhabited the topographical regions beyond the western banks of the Dead Sea.

Among these ancient settlements, the site of Mephaat has been mentioned in biblical texts as one of the cities

upon the plateau to condemn to great destruction (Jeremiah 48:21).

Many branches of the King’s Highway provided a means for reaching the more remote ancient cities,

but the main route served as the forerunner for the Via Traiana Nova built by the Roman Emperor Trajan (53-117 A.D.)

The main attraction, though, lies outside the city walls: it is the newly unearthed Church of St.

Stephen with its perfectly preserved remarkable mosaic floor, the largest one in Jordan.Umm ar-Rasas

It contains the images and portraits of 27 Old and New Testament cities of the Holy Land from

both east and west of the Jordan River and of Egypt, making it a discovery second only to the Mosaic Map of Madaba.

mosaic of Umm ar-Rasas

The most important discovery on the site was the mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen.

It made in 785 (discovered after 1986). The perfectly preserved mosaic floor is the largest one in Jordan.

On the central panel, hunting and fishing scenes are depict, while another panel illustrates the most

important cities of the region including Philadelphia (Amman), Madaba, Esbounta (Heshbon), so

Belemounta (Ma’an), Areopolis (Ar-Rabba), Charac Moab (Karak), Jerusalem, Nablus, Caesarea, and Gaza. and

The frame of the mosaic is especially decorative. in addition to 

Umm Al-Rasas Like many places along the King’s Highway (and, indeed, in Jordan), Umm Al- Rasas is an unassuming spot that’s hiding a lot of history.

located 30 km southeast of Madaba.

the Roman military utilized the site as a strategic garrison, but it was later converted and inhabited by Christian and Islamic communities.

Church of St. Stephen (Stylite tower):

It is believed to have been built around 785AD and contains a glorious mosaic floor.

with its perfectly preserved remarkable mosaic floor, the largest one in Jordan.

It contains the images and portraits of 27 Old and New Testament cities of the Holy Land from both east and west of the Jordan River and of Egypt, making it a discovery second only to the Mosaic Map of Madaba.

Also, there is the hermit tower of Simon the vertical on it about fifteen meters used by monks in ancient times for isolation