Located south of the capital Amman, Umm ar-Rasas was historically known as Meifa’a, Human settlement in the area dates back to the Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods.

The site’s most significant archaeological landmarks include the Roman fortress, the Stylite Tower (associated with Saint Simeon the Stylite), and several Byzantine churches, the most famous of which is the Church of Saint Stephen.

Umm ar-Rasas was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.