Riḥāb Riḥāb is 12km west of Al Mafraq on the road leading to Jarash. This town has a strategic location, and was inhabited intermittently from the Palaeolithic until the end of the Islamic Age . At the end of the Umayyad period (the eighth century AD), a strong earthquake struck the town, but it remained inhabited until the beginning of the Ottoman period. Twenty-three unearthed churches, in addition to other civil buildings, bear traces of restoration and maintenance from the Ayyubid-Mamluk period. Among these buildings is the Mamluk mosque, and there are some Arabic inscriptions at the site. The most important churches in Rihab, arranged chronologically: 1. Tal’at Al Qaryah Cathedral Perhaps built as early as the early sixth century AD. 2. Saint Mary the Virgin Church It was built in 534AD, reconstructed in 582AD. 3. Saint Basil Church It was built in 594AD, during the time of archbishop Polyeuktos of Bostra. 4. Saint Paul Church It was built in 596AD, during the time of Polyeuktos. 5. Saint Sophia Church It was built in 604AD, during the time of Polyeuktos. 6. Saint June the Baptist Church It was built in 620AD, during the time of Polyeuktos. 7. Saint Stephan Church It was built in 621AD, during the time of Polyeuktos, it is on the right side of the road leading to Jarash from Al Mafraq, its floor decorated with mosaic which has a Greek inscription mentioning the names of Saint Stephan, the archbishop, philanthropists, mosaic workers, and building date. 8. Saint Nicephorus Constantinos Monastery It was built in 623AD, during the time of Polyeuktos, and it is located in the Al Qadam area south of Rihab town, on the road leading to Az Zarqaʼ through Balʻama. 9. Saint Peter Church It was built in 624AD, during the time of Polyeuktos. 10. Saint Mena Church It was built in 634AD, during the time of archbishop Theodoros of Bostra. 11. Isaiah Church May have been built after 653AD. 12. Rahibah Church It was reused during the Ayyubid-Mamluk period. That is why its constructor or date of building is unknown; perhaps it was built at the late Byzantine Age or early Islamic Age.

Umm Al-Jimal The ancient city of Umm al-Jimal is located about 20 km to the east of the city of Mafraq, within the volcanic region (South Houran region), with coordinates N: 32ᴼ.1937863 E: 36ᴼ0221129. It is believed its name is derived from the use of camels and camels in the path of commercial caravans. Umm al-Jimal was an important commercial caravan station due to the presence of several trade routes adjacent to it, such as the Via Traiana Nova which connected the ancient capital of the Nabateans at “Petra” to the new capital “Bosra” and another trade route coming from through Wadi Sirhan Diocletianus. The Nabataeans settled the village of Umm al-Jimal in the first century AD. During the Byzantine period, the Umm al-Jimal area witnessed a conversion to Christianity, so several churches were built at different periods, the oldest of which was the Julianos Church. In the Umayyad period, they reused it, as well as the Umayyad House, which is currently used as the Umm al-Jimal Visitor Centre and Museum. In the year 749 AD, the entire area was subjected to an earthquake that led to the destruction of the buildings and the displacement of the residents of the area. The Druze resettled the area of Umm al-Jimal in the nineteenth century, where they restored parts of the village and used it during winter when they came down from Jabal Al-Arab “Jabal Al-Druze”. The Al-Masaeed tribe was one of the first Bedouin tribes to inhabit Umm Al-Jimal in modern times. Among the most important Archaeological sites are the Nabataean Rest House and the military nacelle . In the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods 1171- 1516 AD, the Roman and Byzantine residential houses were reused during this period, and we see this in the conversion of the Numerianos Church into a mosque, where the apse was closed with a wall and a niche opened within the southern wall of the church.