Madaba: The city of mosaics in Jordan

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Europe

‍Jordan, the Hashemite Kingdom in the Middle East, is situated west of Israel and the Jordan river.

Madaba, the capital city of Madaba Governorate in central Jordan, is famous for its historical remains. The mosaic map, one of the oldest evidence of ancient cartography and the oldest known geographic floor mosaic in existence, was discovered in St George's Church, which is located northwest of the city center.

With two million pieces of vividly colored local stones, the mosaic map from 6th century depicts hills, valleys, villages and towns. It covered the area from Lebanon in the north to the Nile Delta in the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the Desert in the east.

Religious mosaic on the walls of the Greek Orthodox Basilica of Saint George. /VCG Photo

The mosaics showing the map of Palestine. /VCG Photo

The floor mosaic in Church of the Virgin. /VCG Photo

Ancient 6th century map of Jerusalem Mosaic in Saint George Church. /VCG Photo

The mosaic map is part of a floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church of Saint George. /VCG Photo

This is an overview of Madaba town from the bell tower of Saint John, the Baptist Church. /VCG Photo

Other mosaic masterpieces are found in the Church of the Virgin and the Apostles and now are preserved in the Archaeological Museum and Parks in Madaba. They depict various kinds of plants and animals, as well as scenes from mythology.

As an important town in the early centuries of the Christian era, Madaba used to have over 10 churches with impressive mosaics, before being largely destroyed by an earthquake in 746 and subsequently abandoned. The remains of the mosaic map were found in early 1880s by a group of Christians who moved there. They later incorporated the surviving fragments into the new St George's Church.

Madaba is now the fifth most populous city in Jordan, and an iconic cultural destination for tourists.

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(Cover image by Fan Chenxiao)