Umm Ar-Rasas, the Kastron Mefa’a of antiquity, is one of the most mysterious archaeological sites in Jordan. Today this ancient settlement is tantamount to a field of ruins.

Kastron Mefa’a is divided into three sections. In the northern area is one of the few buildings that has managed to survive in reasonable condition and even now it is unknown how many treasures still lie undiscovered.

With the decline of the Roman Empire this military outpost on the edge of the desert was abandoned. Between the fourth and sixth centuries A.D. there were many eremites, men who lived an ascetic life, in this region. They were honoured as mediators between Heaven and Earth.

Over the years the buildings here served many purposes and several Bedouin families lived in the ancient ruins right up to the beginning of the twentieth century.

The ruins of Umm Ar-Rasas, formerly Kastron Mefa’a provide a fascinating insight into a once forgotten part of Jordan’s history that lay hidden beneath the desert sand.