World Heritage Identification Number: 1093
World Heritage since: 2004
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇯🇴 Jordan
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Arab States
Map
Exploring the Ancient City of Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a): A Journey Through Time
Um er-Rasas, also known as Kastrom Mefa'a, is a captivating archaeological site located approximately 30 kilometers southeast of Madaba in the Amman Governorate of Jordan. Situated in the semi-arid steppe region of the Jordanian Desert, the site was once accessible via branches of the King's Highway and is believed to be associated with the biblical settlement of Mephaat, as mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Most of this archaeological site, which started as a Roman military camp and grew to become a town from the 5th century, has not been excavated. It contains remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Muslim periods (end of 3rd to 9th centuries AD) and a fortified Roman military camp. The site also has 16 churches, some with well-preserved mosaic floors. Particularly noteworthy is the mosaic floor of the Church of Saint Stephen with its representation of towns in the region. Two square towers are probably the only remains of the practice, well known in this part of the world, of the stylites (ascetic monks who spent time in isolation atop a column or tower). Um er-Rasas is surrounded by, and dotted with, remains of ancient agricultural cultivation in an arid area.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): Um er-Rasas is a masterpiece of human creative genius given the artistic and technical qualities of the mosaic floor of St Stephen's church.
Criterion (iv): Um er-Rasas presents a unique and complete (therefore outstanding) example of stylite towers.
Criterion (vi): Umm er-Rasas is strongly associated with monasticism and with the spread of monotheism in the whole region, including Islam.
Encyclopedia Record: Umm ar-Rasas
Umm ar-Rasas is located 30 km southeast of Madaba in the Amman Governorate in central Jordan. It was once accessible by branches of the King's Highway, and is situated in the semi-arid steppe region of the Jordanian Desert. The site has been associated with the biblical settlement of Mephaat mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. The Roman military utilized the site as a strategic garrison, but it was later converted and inhabited by Christian and Islamic communities. In 2004, the site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is valued by archaeologists for its extensive ruins dating to the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods. The Franciscan academic society in Jerusalem, Studium Biblicum Franciscanum (SBF), carried out excavations at the north end of the site in 1986, but much of the area remains buried under debris.Additional Site Details
Area: 23.928 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 31.50167 , 35.92056
Image
Daniel Kirk, Public domain
