Since the mid-nineteenth century, the outstanding remains of Syrian ancient dwellings have drawn the attention of explorers and scholars, both in northern and southern Syria, in rural as well as urban contexts, for instance in Antioch and Daphne, Apameia, and Palmyra. In southern Syria, more than three hundred ancient villages are still visible, and many of their houses, probably built between the second and the seventh century CE, were inhabited until the nineteenth or the twentieth century. Bostra is one of these main ancient cities of the Near East, since it was in Roman times the capital of the Province of Arabia, and then in Late Antique and Early Byzantine periods, i.e. from the fourth to the seventh century CE, the seat of the bishop of the province, who became an archbishop in the sixth century CE. Among the residences identified in this capital city, the well-preserved and so-called “Palace of Trajan” stands in the vicinity of the largest church uncovered. Excavations and architectural analysis undertaken in 1997 and between 2007 and 2009 suggest that it was built at the end of the fifth century CE. Its dimensions make it one of the largest known ancient houses of southern Syria. It consists of four multi-storey buildings, arranged around a square peristyle courtyard, with a large “triconch” hall and a room with an alcove. Baths, uncovered at the foot of the “triconch” hall, were built around the sixth century CE, and their last transformation dates to the end of the Umayyad period; the house was abandoned and looted shortly thereafter. A marble plate with a small cross was discovered in the course of excavations, suggesting that at the end of the Umayyad period, the palace still belonged to a wealthy Christian. Eventually, because of its vicinity to the possible cathedral of Bostra, this luxurious house could be identified as the residence of the archbishop.