Levant Lure Journey. Day 7: Madaba, Jordan

Often referred to as the "City of Mosaics," Madaba is an undiscovered treasure in Jordan. This charming city is famous for its stunning collection of Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. The blend of rural life and cultural heritage made our visit special. From ancient art to historic monuments, Madaba offers a unique experience for us to explore on our final day in Jordan.

A troop of guests was leaving the Hassan Zawaideh Camp early in the morning while we had our late breakfast. We leisurely savored the morning views before embarking on our journey northward. After cruising for 3 hours along the Desert Highway, we stopped for lunch at a Turkish restaurant. We also bought kunafa cheese and Arabic ghraibeh from Habibah Sweets, located nearby.

Next on our itinerary was Mount Nebo. Abrahamic traditions place immense significance on this site, believing it to be the location where Moses viewed the Promised Land prior to his death. Standing at one of the highest points in the ancient Kingdom of Moab provided breathtaking panoramic views.

My wife took this picture at around 2 am...

I took this picture myself. :P


Jenama Jordan yang terkenal di semenanjung Arab

Tak sangka pulak restoran ni terkenal. Ramai orang kat dalam tuh.

Sheez tawook ni memang sedap.

These pictures were taken at Mount Nebo.


The rolling stone of Abu Badd, used as a fortified door





Decorative mosaics inside the Memorial of Moses

The mosaic floor of the Diakonikon, 530 A.D.





A small olive tree

The view of the Tower of Rujm al-Mukhayyat from afar.

The archeological map of the Mount Nebo has been sponsored by Danish Palestine Foundation



The Greek inscription

This site was one of the Christian holy places.

After our inspiring trip to Mount Nebo, we went to Al-Asher Street, which is also known as the Madaba Souk or Old Market. This market is a busy place where people from the area and tourists meet. The lively atmosphere gave the air a lot of energy.

Al-Asher Street is also conveniently located near the Madaba Archaeological Park. This park preserves important archaeological remains from Roman times and features stunning Byzantine mosaic floors. We took some time to wander the area, sighting the decorative mosaics in the Hippolytus Hall and Virgin Mary Church.  The mosaic decorated a rich mansion of 6th-century Byzantine Madaba.







 

The Sunna's Church

The Roman Street

 



A brief history of the tragedy of the Greek dramatist Euripides.

A private villa from the 6th century.





Next, we made our way to St. George's Church, a modest yet significant Greek Orthodox church built in the 19th century. This church is famous for housing one of the oldest maps of Palestine—a remarkable mosaic discovered during construction in 1884. Regrettably, the ticketing counter had not informed us earlier that the church was undergoing restoration, which left us upset.

We spent a half-day exploring Madaba before checking into the Mosaic Hotel in the "City of Mosaics," where we reserved a room that included dinner. The staff took our reservation for 8-ish time so that we have plenty of time to settle down. We were pleasantly surprised to find a substantial portion of the 3-course meal. And it comes with delicious dessert! To burn off the calories, we then wandered around the city center in search of souvenirs before calling it a day.

 

Tengah baik pulih le pulak





Ok la sup ekor ni..




Pusing-pusing di tengah bandar Madaba

Location: Madaba, Jordan

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