South
of Jordan’s capital lies the home of the world’s largest collection of
ancient mosaics. An archbishopric during the Byzantine era, Madaba contains
historical mosaics most of which are at least 1,400 years old. Perhaps the
most famous is the 6th century map of the Holy Land, the earliest
original map to survive. Situated in the Greek Orthodox Church of St George
it is a stunning 25 by 5 meters of beautiful colored stone. Archaeologists
have used this map to discover a number of important Biblical sites,
including Jerusalem’s Cardo and the site of Jesus’ baptism at Bethany across
the Jordan. There is an impressive collection of restored Herodian and
Byzantine mosaics on display in the Madaba Archaeological Park, the Madaba
Museum, the Burnt Church and the Apostles' Church.....and elsewhere around
this living-museum city.
Modern
Madaba is built on the ancient ruins, so people are continually discovering
‘new’ ancient mosaics under their houses, garages and gardens. In 1994 Queen
Noor formally opened the Madaba School for Mosaic Art. Restoration of
discovered mosaics is an important mission for the school’s students, who
also extend the craft with modern designs and interpretations (see
Handicraft Tour page). This school is now on the road to becoming a degree –
granting piece of the Jordan University’s institutional mosaic.
Most
visitors to Madaba make a quick stop to check out the map and then hit the
road. We think you should stay a little longer. And not just for the
mosaics, although that is certainly one argument for extending your stay
here. Madaba is wonderfully diverse – about half Muslim and half Christian.
This contributes to the laid-back, tolerant atmosphere you’ll notice in the
town. In the late afternoon, after most tourists have departed, stroll
through the center of town and you’ll find many opportunities to stop for a
chat, a cup of tea or even an invitation home for dinner.
Madaba
is surrounded by fertile farmland and vineyards. Some of Jordan’s best table
wines come from this area. Haret Jdoudna, the famous restaurant in the
centre of town, has a shady courtyard where you can conduct your own wine
tasting. The Haret Jdoudna courtyard (name means “gardens of our ancestors”)
is surrounded by old Madaba houses (early 20th century) which
were once home to prominent local citizens - a city mayor and physician
among them. Today they house one of Jordan’s best traditional restaurants,
small handicraft shops and a good pizzeria. At night you’ll find visitors
and locals mingling to enjoy the food, live entertainment and a hubbly –
bubbly pipe until the wee small hours.
A
short drive from Madaba takes you to Mt Nebo, where Moses was first shown
the Promised Land. It is also said to be his death and burial place. The
view encompasses the Dead Sea, the Jordan River Valley and the Judean hills.
On a clear day, you can make out the spires and domes of Bethlehem and
Jerusalem. At Mt Nebo the Franciscans have built a contemporary church
over the ruins of various pilgrimage churches which stood in the past.
Inside the church are restored mosaics from the previous succession of
churches on this site. The modern church is surrounded by the
excavated ruins of ancient monastic settlements on this spot.
Pope John Paul II planted an olive tree beside the Moses monument on his pilgrimage to Mt. Nebo during his Holy Land visit. A plaque commemorates this event. The Franciscan monks who purchased Mt. Nebo in the 1930’s still have a monastery on the spot, and the gates are closed to visitors an hour before sunset each day.