Umm Er Resas

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Umm ar-Rasas is situated 30 kilometers southeast of Madaba, Jordan's capital city and central hub of the Madaba Governorate. This ancient settlement was once easily accessible by routes branching off from the King's Highway, which traversed through the semi-arid steppe region of the Jordanian Desert. Excavations have linked Umm ar-Rasas to Mephaat, a biblical town mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. The Roman military utilized this site as a strategic outpost, but later it was repurposed and inhabited by Christian and Islamic communities. In 2004, UNESCO designated the site as a World Heritage Site, drawing recognition from archaeologists for its extensive ruins dating back to the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim periods. Archaeological excavations conducted by Studium Biblicum Franciscanum in 1986 at the northern end of the site uncovered valuable insights, but much of the area remains buried under debris.