Showing 1-7 of 7 results
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Archaeological Park
Some careful restoration and excavation in the early 1990s led to the creation of the Archaeological Park, a collection of ruins as well as mosaics from the Madaba area.
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Burnt Palace & Martyrs Church
The Burnt Palace was a late-6th-century luxury private mansion destroyed by fire and earthquake around AD 749. It contains more mosaics and there are walkways throughout for viewing the site. The east wing (down the steps to the left as you enter) contains some good hunting mosaics, while the west wing's highlight is the image of a lion attacking a bull. A fragment of a four seasons mosaic is all that remains of the north wing.
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Church of the Apostles
The Church of the Apostles contains a remarkable mosaic dedicated to the 12 apostles, although it can be difficult to see clearly. The embroidery-like mosaic was created in AD 568 and is one of the few instances where the mosaicist (Salomios) put his name to his work. The central portion shows Thalassa, a woman who represents the sea, surrounded by fish and some slippery marine creatures (check out the comical little octopus).
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Greek Orthodox Church
This 19th-century Greek Orthodox church was built over a Byzantine church.
Unearthed in 1884, the mosaic on the church floor was a clear map with 157 captions (in Greek) depicting all the major biblical sites of the Middle East. The mosaic was constructed in AD 560, and was originally around 25m long (some experts claim 15m is more accurate) and 6m wide. It once contained more than two million pieces but only one-third of the original mosaic has survived.
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Madaba Mosaic School
The Madaba Mosaic School was set up in 1992 by the Jordanian Government and is the only school of its kind in the Middle East. Its primary aims are to train Jordanian artists in the production and restoration of mosaics, spread awareness of mosaics in Jordan and to actively preserve mosaics throughout the country. Its restoration work is evident in the Archaeological Park, the Church of the Apostles and at Khirbet Mukhayyat.
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Madaba Museum
The Madaba Museum is housed in several old Madaba residences.
The first room to the left has a 6th-century mosaic depicting a naked satyr, which some sources say is Bacchus, the god of wine. The rather naughty image of Ariadne, dancing with cymbals on her hands and feet, has been partially destroyed.
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Tell Madaba
This important archaeological site in the heart of Madaba is still under excavation and there's not much to see. Like many sites around Madaba, it was discovered by accident by a local when he started digging the foundations for his house. It contains remains of a Byzantine villa and parts of an Iron Age wall or fortification, the largest of its kind in Jordan and visible from above the arch on the top level.
Showing 1-7 of 7 results
