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The Old and New Testaments mentioned it, the Romans
fortified it, and the local Christians were still
embroidering it  with Byzantine-style mosaics well over
100 years after the beginning of Muslim Umayyad rule:
Kastron Mefaa, modern Umm Ar-Rasas, indeed, has a long
history to tell.
Its building, including churches, a courtyard with well,
 staircases and beautifully curved stone arches have been
excavated and restored. Recent excavations here have
uncovered some of the finest Byzantine church mosaics in
the Middle East.
The main attraction is the newly unearthed Church of St.
Stephen with its perfectly preserved remarkable mosaic
floor, the largest one in Jordan. It contains the images
and portraits of 27 Old and New Testament cities of the
Holy Land from both east and west of the Jordan River
and of Egypt, making it a discovery second only to the
Mosaic Map of Madaba.
Less than 2 kilometers from Umm Ar-Rasas is the highest
 standing ancient tower in Jordan. A 15 meter high
Byzantine square tower with no door or inner staircase
lies there. It is the highest standing ancient tower in
Jordan which puzzled the specialists. It is thought to
be used by early Christian monks seeking solitude. It is
now inhabited by swarms of birds.
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