Mafraq · Archaeological Site

Umm el-Jimal

The black basalt jewel of the Jordanian desert

Overview

About Umm el-Jimal

Umm el-Jimal is a remarkably preserved rural town of black basalt in northern Jordan, near the Syrian border. Its origins go back to a Nabataean and Roman settlement, and it flourished between the 5th and 8th centuries CE, when houses, churches, reservoirs and a barracks were built from the local dark stone. More than 150 buildings still stand, and the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024.

Key features

🏛️ Basaltic Architecture

Unique black basalt stone buildings

💧 Water Catchment System

Ancient water management and storage

📜 Epigraphic Corpus

Inscriptions in multiple ancient languages

⛪ Byzantine Churches

Early Christian religious structures

🕌 Early Islamic Structures

Islamic period buildings and features

Research

Latest research

Umm Al-Jimal Archaeological Project, 2022–2023

ACOR

ACOR2023

Umm el‐Jimal cathedral, Jordan: inscriptions and radiocarbon dates

Khaled Al‐Bashaireh

Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy2017DOI verified

Assessing Umm el-Jimal’s Potential for Heritage Tourism

Fakhrieh M. Darabseh, Abdelkader Ababneh, Furat Almuhaisen

Archaeologies2017DOI verified

Archaeology for the Future at Umm el-Jimal: Site Preservation, Presentation, and Community Engagement

ACOR

ACOR2016

Umm al-Jimal Site Presentation

Department of Antiquities of Jordan

Department of Antiquities of Jordan2009

Showing 5 papers

Umm al-Jimal - Jordan

3D model of Umm al-Jimal site. 3D model: SJoudeh, via Sketchfab

Umm al-Jimal - Jordan

Available models