Umm Al-Jmal is a ghost town in the Jordanian Basalt Desert and lies near Mafraq, on the first stretch of the Bagdad-Street.

Even from a distance the ruins of Umm al-Jimal (translated something like "Mother of the Camels) at the edge of the eastern Jordanian basalt desert stand out against the sky.

Whereas the remnants of the Decapolis cities Gadara and Gerasa consist mainly of public buildings and long colonnades, Umm al-Jimal is characterized by a large number of extraordinarily well-preserved multi-storey tenements as well as by 15 Byzantine churches and several military structures. Most of these buildings consist of black basalt which was once used in a specific construction technique.

Like the Decapolis cities, Umm al-Jimal is located along important late Roman trade routes which gave rise to the city's prosperity. Apart from being a caravan stop Umm al-Jimal prospered especially because of its extensive agriculture in the late Roman period.

Being a rather modest village in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., Umm al-Jimal became more important during the 4th and 5th century when the eastern borders of the Roman Empire were secured. In about 300 A.D., large barracks were erected, and in the 5th century a fort (castellum) was added.

Source: Jordanien-Reise - http://www.jordanien-reise.com/index.php?id=411&L=6