Jordan
The UNESCO-listed remains of this ancient settlement preserve the largest and finest mosaic in Jordan and unusual isolation towers.
Said to be the site of the Biblical town of Mephaat, Umm ar-Rasas was built as a Roman garrison town in the 4th century to defend the frontier of the Roman Empire. During the Byzantine era, and even into the Early Muslim period, 16 churches were built at Umm ar-Rasas, and it remained a pilgrimage site until Muslim officials began threatening pilgrims with imprisonment. While much of the site hasn’t been excavated, many of the churches exhibit some well-preserved mosaics. The most notable is the one in the Church of St Stephen, which is the largest Byzantine mosaic in Jordan. Perfectly preserved, it includes fishing scenes, a map of major cities in the region, and the only surviving icon in the city. The town’s two square towers were likely used by ascetic monks who would sit atop them in isolation, and are probably the last vestiges of this practice.
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