Of the four inscribed Jordanian World Heritage Sites I visited in spring 2015, Um er-Rasas was the one for which I had the least expectations, but I'm glad I went because I loved the mosaics in the church of St Stephen. The level of detail that went into the tessellated floors was impressive, depicting 8th century cities, flora and fauna, and scenes of daily life. Jordan has done a good job protecting the mosaics, with a shelter over the church and glass walkways that allow visitors to get close to the mosaics without damaging the floors. The remainder of the site outside the church is also well worth exploring, including the remains of an old Roman fort, homes, and other Byzantine churches. The visitor's center was closed when I arrived, as other visitors have noted, and there was no one selling tickets despite my arrival during scheduled opening hours; nevertheless the site was open and accessible. In addition to visiting the mosaics at Um er-Rasas, I also highly recommend a stop at the church of St. George in nearby Madaba, which has a renowned 6th century mosaic of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

Logistics: Um er-Rasas is accessible by car, and is a short detour off the King's Highway south of Madaba.