Travel Guide

Place to Visit: Madaba

Amazing Mosaics Map of the Holy Land

Central Jordan, Jordan

The superb mosaic map of the Holy Land which lies on the floor of St George’s Church is an amazing example of the skill of these early Christian artists and yet others too can be found in and around the town.

Great Reasons To Visit

  • Work out where’s where on the famous mosaic map of the Holy Land
  • Wander Madaba Archaeological Park for more examples of the art
  • Madaba is a good springboard for visiting Mt Nebo and the Dead Sea

Background

The increasingly popular town of Madaba is mentioned in the Bible, named as Medeba, yet its history predates even this with finds dating back to 3,100BCE. Ever since the dawn of Christianity Madaba has had a strong Christian community and that continues today.

The mosaic the town is famous for are to be found variously in the Church of St George, where the famous map of the Holy Land lies, and in Madaba Archaeological Park. Close to Madaba is Mt Nebo from where Moses glimpsed the Promised Land across the Dead Sea.

Relaxing

The city is famous for its rugs, so enjoy a little shopping and take home a souvenir of Jordan.

Madaba

The main attraction is the map of the Holy Land in the Church of St George. Originally much bigger it was only discovered as building work was being made to the church. It represents a section of the Holy Land which includes Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and some of the Sinai peninsular, all of which are clearly visible, with Greek names detailed. Inside the Archaeological Park a varied collection of mosaics further illustrate the skill of the 1st century craftsmen. Madaba is famous for its rugs.

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