Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
5 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Jordan Umm ar-Rasas Um er-Rasas

Um er-Rasas

The remains of three different ancient civilizations have been found at this rich archaeological site.

Umm ar-Rasas, Jordan

Added By
Max Cortesi
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Ruins of Um er-Rasas.   Jean Housen/cc by-sa 3.0
Ruins of Um er-Rasas.   Jean Housen/cc by-sa 3.0
Mosaics of Um er-Rasas.   Zairon/cc by-sa 3.0
Detail of mosaic.   Maria Gropa/cc by-sa 3.0-igo
Detail of mosaic.   Maria Gropa/cc by-sa 3.0-igo
St Stephen’s Church.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
St Stephen’s Church mosaic floor.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
St Stephen’s Church mosaic floor.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Stylite Tower.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Archways.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Sunbathing on the ruins.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Nowadays, not many people are familiar with this unique archaeological site, but the ancient Jordanian town of Um er-Rasas must have been quite important in antiquity. It is mentioned in the Bible (Jeremiah 48:21) under its earlier name, Kastron Mefaa, as well as in the writings of the Christian historian Eusebius around 500 CE.

Artifacts unearthed from the ruins of Um er-Rasas (also spelled Umm ar-Rasas) suggest this site was inhabited since at least the Iron Age, around 800 BCE. The ancient Romans established a military camp here, then the site became a religious center for early Christians in Byzantine times, and eventually an Islamic center during the early period of Islam. Amazingly, remains from all three civilizations have been found, making Um er-Rasas a microcosm of Middle Eastern history.

At first sight, Um er-Rasas may come across as rather underwhelming, as it looks like a vast expanse of rubble. However, once you start meandering through it, you start realizing how rich this archaeological site is, with layers upon layers of ancient history narrated through the language of architecture. A guide can greatly enhance a visit, but even an untrained eye can appreciate the endurance of millennia-old archways, pillars, and walls. 

Among the highlights are a fortified military camp, 16 churches, a square tower, and mosaic floors. The mosaic of St Stephen’s Church is of particular artistic and historical significance, as it dates back to the Byzantine Empire and depicts locations in Palestine and Egypt. Archaeologists have discovered that this priceless mosaic is actually sitting on another, older mosaic. The narrow square tower is also interesting, as it is, in fact, a Stylite tower. Stylite hermits were Christian ascetics that used to ascend to the top of this kind of towers to fast, pray, and meditate for years on end.

Related Tags

Archaeology Ancient Roman Christianity Islam Religion Mosaics Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

Um er-Rasas is about 50 miles (76 km) south of Amman. The site is about 7 miles (14 km) off King's Highway.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Ancient Ruins & Legendary Landmarks of Jordan

Explore Mesmerizing Jordan: From Petra to Greco-Roman Ruins.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Max Cortesi

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

November 14, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Um er-Rasas
Unnamed Road
Umm ar-Rasas
Jordan
31.501327, 35.919237
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Madaba Mosaic Map

Madaba, Jordan

miles away

Fortress of Machaerus

Areedh Sub-District, Jordan

miles away

Ma'in Hot Springs

Mkawer, Jordan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Jordan

Jordan

Middle East

Places 23
Stories 9

Nearby Places

Madaba Mosaic Map

Madaba, Jordan

miles away

Fortress of Machaerus

Areedh Sub-District, Jordan

miles away

Ma'in Hot Springs

Mkawer, Jordan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Jordan

Jordan

Middle East

Places 23
Stories 9

Related Places

  • The Capitoline Triad at the Rodolfo Lanciani Archaeological Museum.

    Montecelio, Italy

    Capitoline Triad

    This incredible second-century sculpture depicts a trio of gods worshipped by the ancient Romans.

  • The floor mosaic, with the zodiac in the center and the Torah ark above.

    Tiberias, Israel

    Zodiac Mosaic of Hammat Tiberias

    The mosaic floor of a 4th-century synagogue features a pagan zodiac wheel alongside traditional images of a Torah ark and menorahs.

  • Ephesus’ Cave of the Seven Sleepers.

    Selçuk, Turkey

    Yedi Uyurlar Mağarası (Cave of the Seven Sleepers)

    Seven early Christians were sealed into a cave where legend has it they slept unharmed for centuries.

  • Creevykeel Court Tomb

    Cliffony, Ireland

    Creevykeel Court Tomb

    One of Ireland's best-preserved chambered cairns can be found next to a wishing tree.

  • The sarcophagi are located on both lateral walls inside the basilica.

    Classe, Italy

    Sarcophagi of the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe

    Numerous stone coffins from different centuries, lined up in a sixth century basilica.

  • The cubic altar

    Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

    Selva di Malano

    Ancient, mysterious stone altars are hidden among wild woods in central Italy.

  • Qumran Ruins

    West Bank

    Qumran

    The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the ruins of this ancient monastic community.

  • Vals, France

    Église Notre-Dame de Vals (Church of Our Lady of Vals)

    A medieval church built into an ancient cave.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.