Lying about 30 km south-east of Madaba, the ruins of Um Al Rasas present a unique and outstanding example of world archeological sites.
Petra or Um Al Rasas is a masterpiece of human creativity given the artistic and technical qualities of the mosaic floor of its churches," with these words Jordan’s representative to the World Heritage Committee Moawiyah Ibrahim described this magnificent historic site, which was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage in 2004.
The place matched three criteria according to the World Heritage Convention of cultural sites, as it combines ruins from the Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim civilizations, Ibrahim added.
The most important discovery on the site was the mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen.
It was made in 785 (discovered after 1986).
The perfectly preserved mosaic floor is the largest one in Jordan.
On the central panel hunting and fishing scenes are depicted while another panel illustrates the most important cities of the region (including Kastron Mefaa, Philadelphia, Madaba, Charac Moaba, Jerusalem, Nablus and Gaza).
Source: Ammon News [June 22, 2010]