Madaba & Mount Nebo

Madaba — The City of Mosaics

35 km south of Amman lies Madaba, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, famous for its Byzantine mosaics. The highlight is the Madaba Map in the Greek Orthodox St. George's Church: a 6 by 15-meter floor mosaic from the 6th century, showing the oldest cartographic depiction of the Holy Land—Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, the Jordan, Bethlehem, and even individual buildings are identifiable.

Madaba has even more to offer: The Archaeological Museum displays more mosaics and Nabataean finds, the Madaba Archaeological Park preserves impressive floor mosaics from various churches, and the city itself is much quieter and more authentic than Amman.

Mount Nebo — The View of Moses

10 km west of Madaba rises Mount Nebo (817 m), one of Jordan's most important biblical sites. According to the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses saw the Promised Land from here shortly before his death, which he himself was not allowed to enter.

And indeed: On a clear day, the view from the summit extends over the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, the hills of Jerusalem, and on particularly good visibility, even to Bethlehem and Jericho. The Moses Church on the summit houses beautiful Byzantine mosaics (6th century), and the modern Brazen Serpent Sculpture (Moses' serpent) is a popular photo motif.

Pope John Paul II visited Mount Nebo in 2000, Pope Benedict XVI in 2009—both planted an olive tree here as a sign of peace.