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Madaba
Just 30 kilometres from Amman, along the 5,000-year-old Kings´
Highway, is one of the most memorable places in the Holy Land.
After passing through a string of ancient sites, the first city
you reach is Madaba, known as the “City of Mosaics".
Best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics,
Madaba is home to the famous 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem
and the Holy Land. With two million pieces of vividly colored
local stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as
far as the Nile Delta.
The Madaba Mosaic Map covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox
Church of St. George, which is located northwest of the city
centre. The church was built in 1896 AD, over the remains of a
much earlier 6th century Byzantine church. Other mosaic masterpieces found in the church of the Virgin and
the Apostles and in the Archaeological Museum, depict a rampant
profusion of flowers and plants, birds and fish, animals and
exotic beasts, as well as scenes from mythology and the everyday
pursuits of hunting, fishing and farming. Literally, hundreds of
other mosaics from the 5th through the 7th centuries are
scattered throughout Madaba's churches and homes.
Mount Nebo
Also within the area is Mount Nebo, one of the most revered holy
sites of Jordan and the place where Moses was buried. A small
Byzantine church was built there by early Christians, which has
been expanded into a vast complex. During his visit to Jordan in
2001, the Late Pope John Paul II held a sermon here that was
attended by some 20,000 faithful.
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