Heritage with Related Tags
Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)
This archaeological site, which began as a Roman military camp and developed into a town from the 5th century onwards, remains largely unexcavated. It contains remains from the Roman, Byzantine and early Muslim periods (late 3rd to 9th century AD), as well as a Roman military camp. The site also has 16 churches, some of which have well-preserved mosaic floors. Of particular note is the mosaic floor of the Church of St. Stephen, which depicts towns in the area. Two square towers are probably the only remains of the area's famous ascetics (ascetics who spent time in solitude atop a pillar or tower). Scattered around Um er-Rasas are remains of ancient agricultural practices in arid regions.
Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna
Ravenna was the capital of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, and then of Byzantine Italy until the 8th century. It has unique early Christian mosaics and monuments. All eight buildings - the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Baptistery of Nyonia, the New Basilica of Sant'Apollinare, the Baptistery of Arias, the Archbishop's Church, the Mausoleum of Theoderic, the Church of San Vitale and the New Basilica of Sant'Apollinare - were built in the 5th and 6th centuries. They show great artistic skills, combining Greco-Roman traditions, Christian iconography, and Eastern and Western styles.
Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem
This listed site, 10 km south of Jerusalem, has been identified by Christian tradition since the 2nd century AD as the birthplace of Jesus. A church was first built on the site in 339 AD, and after a fire in the 6th century AD, it was replaced by a building that retains the original building's exquisite floor mosaics. The site also includes Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian monasteries and churches, as well as bell towers, terraced gardens and pilgrimage routes.
Paphos
Paphos has been inhabited since the Neolithic period. It was the centre of the worship of Aphrodite and the pre-Greek fertility gods. Legend has it that Aphrodite was born on this island and her temple was built here by the Mycenaeans in the 12th century BC. The remains of villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and mausoleums mean that the site is of extraordinary architectural and historical value. The mosaics of Nea Paphos are among the most beautiful in the world.
Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia
Aquileia (in Friuli Venezia Giulia) was one of the largest and richest cities of the early Roman Empire, destroyed by Attila in the middle of the 5th century. Much of its remains remain buried under fields to this day, making it the largest archaeological reserve of its kind. The Patriarchal Basilica is an outstanding building with a unique mosaic pavement, which played a key role in the evangelization of much of Central Europe.