Ancient Byzantine Town of Tharais Unearthed in Southern Jordan!
After decades of scholarly research and tireless fieldwork, archaeologists have finally pinpointed the lost Byzantine town of Tharais in southern Jordan. This incredible discovery is already shedding light on early Christian communities and the complex history of the region.
The excavation, led by Dr Musallam R. Al-Rawahneh, Associate Professor of Archaeology at Mu’tah University, took place near the present-day village of El-ʿIrāq, located in Jordan’s Karak Governorate.
Photo Credit: M. R. Al-Rawahneh
The key to uncovering Tharais lay in a sixth-century mosaic map housed in the Greek Orthodox Church of St George in Madaba. Known as the Madaba Mosaic Map, it is one of the oldest surviving maps of the Holy Land and had long referenced Tharais. Despite this, the town’s exact location had remained a mystery, until now.
Dr Al-Rawahneh and his team used a combination of historical texts, local knowledge, and field surveys conducted between 2021 and 2024 to identify the site. Their findings were recently published in the academic journal Gephyra.
What they found was more than just the remains of a rural village. The prominence of Tharais on the mosaic map, along with the discovery of a basilica-style church, suggests it was both a religious hub and a commercial stop for travellers.
Photo Credit: M. R. Al-Rawahneh
Among the ruins, archaeologists uncovered parts of a Byzantine basilica, including mosaic flooring, a rectangular stone doorway, and threshold stones similar to those seen in other churches from the same period. Surrounding the church were signs of an economically independent community, olive oil and grape presses, and even a watermill, point to a self-sustaining settlement.
The site has also yielded a wealth of smaller finds: pottery shards, stone tools, glass fragments, and fossils, indicating continuous occupation from the Roman period into the early Islamic era. Particularly intriguing are Greek and Latin funerary inscriptions dating from the 5th to 7th centuries CE, which may contain Christian symbolism and references. These inscriptions confirm that a Christian population once lived here.
Tharais was strategically located between the Moabite Plateau and the southeastern edge of the Dead Sea, linking Zoar (modern-day Ghor es-Safi) to central Jordan. Dr Al-Rawahneh suggests that its role as both a religious site and trade stop made Tharais a significant Byzantine settlement.
Photo Credit: M. R. Al-Rawahneh
Based on current research, the town was likely abandoned by the 7th century CE due to a combination of factors: natural disasters like earthquakes, climate shifts, and the broader political transition from Byzantine to Islamic rule. Fortunately, much of the site remained buried and undisturbed under layers of sediment until its recent rediscovery.
Earlier efforts to locate Tharais had pointed to other sites, but a growing number of Byzantine-era artefacts and structural remnants near El-ʿIrāq finally guided archaeologists to the right spot.
While this is a remarkable find, concerns have been raised about the impact of modern development in the area. Urban expansion near El-ʿIrāq poses a real threat to the preservation of this ancient town.
However, archaeologists remain optimistic. Continued surveys and future excavations hold the promise of revealing even more about daily life, trade networks, and religious traditions in this forgotten corner of Byzantine history.