Umm Ar-Rassas

East of Madaba is Umm Ar-Rasas, an ancient site mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. The rectangular walled city is mostly in ruins but still holds up four churches, stone arches and other buildings.

The main attraction is outside the city walls within the Church of St. Stephen, which contains a very large, perfectly preserved Byzantine mosaic floor laid down in 718 AD. It portrays fifteen major cities of the Holy Land from both east and west of the River Jordan and mentioned in the Old and New Testaments. This magnificent mosaic is second only to Madaba’s world famous mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. 

Another feature at Umm Ar-Rasas walled settlement is a 15m Byzantine tower used by early Christian monks seeking solitude.