| MADABA
AND VICINITY
MADABA
The
trip south from Amman along the 5,000-year-old
King's Highway is one of the most memorable
journeys in the Holy Land, passing through
a string of ancient sites. The first city
you come upon is Madaba, "the City
of Mosaics".
Madaba's chief attraction - in the contemporary
Greek Orthodox church of St. George -
is a wonderfully vivid, 6th century Byzantine
mosaic map showing Jerusalem and other
holy sites. With two million pieces of
coloured stone, and a full 25 x 5 metres
in its original state - most of which
can still be seen today - the map depicts
hills and valleys, villages and towns,
as far away as the Nile Delta. This masterpiece
is unrivalled in Jordan, but there are
literally dozens of other mosaics from
the 5th through the 7th centuries, scattered
throughout Madaba's churches and homes.
WHAT
TO SEE
The
Visitors' Centre, tel.
(05) 3253563. Opens daily 08:00h-18:00h.
It is a good place to orient yourself
for a visit to Madaba.
The
Tourist Office, tel.
(05) 3243376. Opens 08:00h-18:00h, closed
Fri. & Sat. It is located in front
of the Burnt Palace and other archaeological
remains. It is another place to obtain
information.
St.
George's Church with its famous
mosaic floor map is of course the star
attraction. Opens daily 08:00h-18:00h.
Admission 1 JD.
The
following sites share one admission ticket
for 2 JD, which can be purchased at any
of the three:
Madaba
Archaeological Museum, tel. (05)
3244056. Opens daily 09:00h-17:00h.
Madaba Archaeological Park.Opens
daily 08:00h-17:00h.
Church of the Apostles with
more stunning mosaics. Opens daily 08:00h-17:00h.
RESTAURANT
& HANDICRAFTS CENTRE: Haret Jdoudna,
tel. (05) 3248650
HOW
TO GET THERE
By car or taxi: Madaba
is 33 km from Amman. For the fastest trip,
take the Airport Road directly to Madaba;
for a more scenic approach, use the King's
Highway.
MOUNT
NEBO
Ten
minutes to the west is the most revered
site in Jordan: Mount Nebo, with the memorial
of Moses at the presumed site of the prophet's
death and burial place. A small, square
church was built on the spot by early
Byzantine Christians, and later expanded
into a vast complex. Sixty years of excavation
reveal a basilical church and a large
cluster of monastic buildings. From a
platform in front of the church you take
in a breathtaking view across the Jordan
Valley and the Dead Sea to the rooftops
of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
WHAT
TO SEE
Moses Memorial Church
at Mount Nebo displays a large number
of the most beautiful mosaics. Opens daily
08:00h-17:00h. Admission ½ JD.
MACHAERUS
If you continue your ride on the King's
Highway after leaving Madaba and turn
right at Libb, you eventually arrive at
Machaerus (Mukawir in Arabic), the hilltop
stronghold of Herod the Great. Upon Herod's
death, his son Herod Antipas inhabited
the fortress, and it is here that he ordered
John the Baptist to be beheaded.
HAMMAMAT
MA'IN
Southwest
of Madaba are the thermal mineral springs
of Hammamat Ma'in or Zarqa Ma'in, where
people have come for thermal treatments
- or simply to enjoy a hot soak - since
the days of Rome. What better way to end
a day immersed in history than in a wonderful,
naturally warm bath?
WHERE
TO STAY
Mercure
Ma'in Spa, 4-star hotel in Hammamat Ma'in,
tel. (05) 3245500 fax (05) 3245550. Indoor
and natural outdoor hot pools, swimming
pool and therapeutic services.
UMM
AR-RASAS
The
Old and New Testaments mention it, the
Romans fortified it and the local Christians
were still embellishing it with Byzantine-style
mosaics well over one hundred years after
the beginning of Muslim rule: Kastron
Mefaa, modern Umm ar-Rasas, has a long
history. The rectangular walledcity
lays in ruins, but several buildings in
its eastern part, including churches,
a courtyard with a well, staircases and
beautifully curved stone arches have been
excavated and restored. The main attraction,
though, lies outside the city walls: it
is the Church of St. Stephen with its
perfectly preserved mosaic floor, the
largest one in Jordan. It contains the
images of 15 major cities of the Holy
Land from both east and west of the Jordan
River, making it a discovery second only
to the mosaic map of Madaba. Less than
2 km north of the fortified town, the
highest standing ancient tower of Jordan
puzzles the specialists: a 15 metre high,
square tower with no door or inner staircase,
now inhabited by swarms of birds.
HOW
TO GET THERE
South
of Madaba, in the town of Dhiban, a road
leading east takes you to the site. Alternatively,
you can leave Amman on the Desert Highway
passing Qastal and Jiza and turn west
shortly after Dab'a.
OTHER
DESTINATIONS
For a longer, more scenic trip, take in
the Crusader Fort of Karak, (see the section
on Crusader Castles in this brochure).
Alternatively, make Madaba your first
stop on a King's Highway journey ending
at Petra, Wadi Rum or even Aqaba!
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