Umm ar-Rasas: Everything You Need to Know
UNESCO World Heritage site, the ruins of Umm ar-Rasas, is a must-include stop when driving along King's Highway in Jordan. In this blog post, we will share with you tips on how to get to Umm ar-Rasas, how much it costs, what you can expect, and we will also reveal where to find an absolutely breathtaking view of Wadi Mujib canyon not many people know about.
Before we start sharing with you guys our tips on visiting ruins of Umm ar-Rasas, it is important to know that you can often read about this place under different names.
Sometimes the spelling varies a bit, so Umm ar-Rasas can be written as Umm er-Rasas, but the ruins are also often known as Kastron Mefa'a or Kastrom Mefa'a - this is an early name under which the place can be found in Bible.
In our post, we will use the most common name - Umm ar-Rasas.
Umm ar-Rasas lies only 30 kilometers southeast of Madaba along the famous King's Highway, but it actually took us almost half a day until we reached the ruins.
We left Madaba, the city of mosaics early in the morning, as we knew only the drive from Madaba to Petra would take us at least four hours without stopping.
But as we had other stops on our Jordan itinerary such as Mount Nebo and Mukawir, and we kind of thought the traffic along the King's Highway won't be that heavy, and we did not expect there will be that many small settlements along the road where we had to drive really slowly, it happened we reached Umm ar-Rasas around midday.
So when we finally made it to the parking lot, we pulled the car over and entered the UNESCO listed site.
There are four cultural sites inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list in Jordan, and Umm ar-Rasas is one of them.
That's why we were quite eager to see it, even though in the end, we both agreed we enjoyed the site of Mukawir better. But it does not mean Umm ar-Rasas is not worth visiting.
Once we were inside the complex, we headed to the office where was sitting a guy from tourist police, who asked us questions, and then just as an aside mentioned that the road to Karak, home to crusader’s Karak Castle, is closed because of some local protests or riots.
When he saw our horror-stricken faces, he then adjusted his statement and told us we might be able to get there if we have a small car, but it did not change the fact we started to feel a bit uneasy.
But long story short, we had to start focusing on Umm ar-Rasas and put our worries aside.
Fortunately, his information was somewhat incomplete. There were some armored vehicles in front of the entrance to Kerak, increased police presence, and some rubbish, though we could visit Kerak without any issues, and later on, we made it all the way to Petra. But anyway.
If you are planning on visiting Umm ar-Rasas on the way from Madaba to Petra, you've come to the right place.
In this post, we will share with you tips on what you can see in Umm ar-Rasas, altogether with practical information such as how much is the entrance fee, where to stay, how to get to Umm ar-Rasas, and we will also give you a great tip for a wonderful viewpoint of Wadi Mujib.
HISTORY OF UMM AR-RASAS
It is said that the area around Umm ar-Rasas was inhabited as early as around 800 BC.
At that time within borders of today's Jordan arose new settlements a bit further from the Dead Sea.
King's Highway at that time branched, and on one of those branches was built a Roman military base camp which should protect the rest of the area from barbarians. It is believed that this camp in the desert is the one mentioned in the Bible as Mephaat.
The place of Umm ar-Rasas has during the year seen many rules.
When the Romans left, the site was used by Christian pilgrims, and some of them decided to settle here in the 5th century. Most of the churches in Umm ar-Rasas, the same as the mosaics, come from this period and feature Byzantine architectural style.
Later the area was conquered by Muslim armies, and some of the structures were either destroyed, remodeled, or devastated when the site was abandoned.
What you can see today in Umm ar-Rasas are the unique remains of buildings that were able to withstand the ravages of time - some of them were already restored, while most of them still wait for their turn.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE AND DO IN UMM AR-RASAS
To be honest, from distance the site of Umm ar-Rasas looks rather like piles of rocks spread over a bounded area.
In the guide books, we could read about on-site churches, but from the very beginning, we were wondering where the hell the churches are. Only later we realized that there was not much left except for excavations and remains of the walls.
You can walk freely around Umm ar-Rasas, so exercise caution, first, you do not want to hurt yourself by falling into a dug hole (watch out for your kids), and second of all, you do not want to step on an uncovered mosaic.
Yes, the excavations in Umm ar-Rasas are still in progress, and since tourists can go whether they want, we recommend you to stay on designated trails (when they are visible), so you won't do any damage.
Just use common sense.
Saint Paul Church
The symbol of Umm ar-Rasas is Saint Paul Church or at least the most significant remains.
You will see the structure on almost every photo from Umm ar-Rasas - yes, we are talking about those three famous arches standing inside the almost destroyed church.
Mosaics
Except for Saint Paul Church, other must-see things are mosaics. Some of them are covered by roof like those in Byzantine Church of Saint Stephen (the mosaics found here during excavations are truly remarkable.
Especially when you consider they were created around 785 AD), while some are still exposed to unpromising sun and blowing winds, waiting to be repaired to their original state.
Church of Saint Stephen is really worth your time. There are catwalks so you can watch the mosaic from every angle possible.
We were really blown away by how the mosaic is wonderful, and only later we found out that this mosaic is the largest intact mosaic in all Jordan!
The discovery of this large mosaic actually gave scientists a proof that this place is the biblical city of Kastron Mefa'a. The mosaics in Umm ar-Rasas, like at Mount Nebo or in Madaba, depict daily life.
Lions Church
Then you will also walk around Lions Church, Villa (you can see here rudiments of the original houses), Madkhar Church (really not much was left from this church), Tabula Church or Roman Castrum.
There are also quite interesting defensive walls reminding the army past, and at the very beginning of the complex, you will also see a small Islamic cemetery.
We spent in Umm ar-Rasas approximately 45 minutes, and even though we needed quite a lot of imagination to get the sense of how this site must have looked like, we found this place nice and worth visiting.
There are not many informative signs in the complex, so if you want to know more about the ruins and its purpose, it is better to hire a guide.
Or like us, you can let your imagination run wild.
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UMM AR-RASAS ENTRANCE FEE
Umm ar-Rasas site is included in the Jordan Pass. We believe that if you are planning your trip to Jordan you've already heard about this initiative, but if not, check out our post on Jordan Pass.
We think that buying this pass is essential for your travels as it will save you money (especially if you plan on visiting several top attractions in the country), but it will also save your time.
Here in Umm ar-Rasas was enough just to say we have the pass, no one even wanted to see it. In case you do not have the Jordan Pass and you are not local, you will pay 2 JD per person.
HOW TO GET TO UMM AR-RASAS
The ruins of Umm ar-Rasas lie just between King's Highway and Desert Highway, so it is only up to you which road you will travel.
As most of the Jordan itineraries include visiting attractions along King's Highway and Desert Highway is not that often used by holidaymakers (it is normally used by people who want to get quickly from point A to point B), we will describe here how to get to Umm ar-Rasas when traveling King's Highway.
It was also the way we traveled to Umm ar-Rasas.
From Madaba, we followed the road 35 for approximately 33 kilometers to Dhiban, and in Dhiban we turned left to a road leading to Umm ar-Rasas.
If you are traveling from the opposite direction, south to north, simply arrive in Dhiban and turn right. The turn off to Umm ar-Rasas is well-signposted and in approximately 17 minutes (16 kilometers), you will reach the complex.
Even though you will see signs along the road, we found out that the last sign just before Umm ar-Rasas was missing, so have your GPS on. When you reach the roundabout, just turn left, and the road will take you to the Visitors Center.
The side road leading to the ruins is narrow, but in a quite good condition.
Here we should probably mention that if you want to travel along King's Highway and want to make several stops, it is really worth renting a car.
Without our rental car, we for sure would not be able to see as much as we did.
If you do not have a car and have plenty of time, you can get to Umm ar-Rasas by public transport from Madaba, there are a few minibusses daily via Nitil.
Another alternative for getting to Umm ar-Rasas ruins is hiring a driver in Amman or Madaba.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
EXTRA TIP: AL LAHUN VIEWPOINT
If you've made your way to Umm ar-Rasas, we think it would be a shame not to take a short detour to one of our favorite viewpoints in Jordan.
We know there is a famous viewpoint of Wadi Mujib along King's Highway you will for sure not miss, but the one we visited provided us with yet different scenery, and the best part was that we were there completely alone.
The place is called Al Lahun, and you will for sure see the signs on the way to Umm ar-Rasas.
It seemed to us that in the past there were plans for Al Lahun to become a museum and another Visitors Center should have been here (at least according to Jordan Lonely Planet guide book, but apparently, nothing has been realized yet.
Fortunately, the views are still there. From Umm ar-Rasas return to the road back to Dhiban, and after approximately 7 kilometers, turn left.
This road with a dead-end will take you to a small parking lot. This site is not on Google Maps, but you will find it in the Maps.me app. Leave your car here and walk for about five minutes to the viewpoint across Wadi Mujib.
This place is absolutely wonderful, so take your time to soak up the scenery.
WHERE TO STAY BEFORE OR AFTER VISITING UMM AR-RASAS
Even though Umm ar-Rasas is worth visiting, there is no reason to spend a night anywhere nearby, as there is not much to do here or in the villages nearby.
Before our visit to Umm ar-Rasas, we stayed in Madaba, and at the end of the day, found accommodation in Wadi Musa, which is a gateway to Petra.
It is also possible to break your journey along King's Highway, and you can stay, for example, in Karak.
Here are our top three suggestions for accommodation.
Madaba | Mosaic City Hotel - Great location, friendly atmosphere, tasty breakfast, and helpful staff are the main features in this hotel. It is worth it to ask for a room with a balcony facing the garden.
Karak | The Old House - This relatively cheap and traditional house offers one of the best accommodations in Karak. The location is great, staff friendly, rooms quiet, and it is worth it to pay a bit extra for breakfast.
Petra | Town Season Hotel - This well-rated hotel has beautiful decor, the staff is friendly and the location is also very convenient. This is for sure one of the best pics for visiting Petra the next day.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
