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.

The map itself, while of enormous historical significance, can be difficult to take in with all its fragments. It's definitely worth seeing, but you need to take your time to get the map's bearing. A room across from the church displays a full size copy of the map for easier viewing.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the church, including some lovely icons with silver halos, an image of St George (St Giorgis) slaying the dragon, and an embroidered depiction of Jesus' death in the southwest corner. A small shop by the exit sells copies of the map and reproduction Orthodox icons.

On Friday and Sunday morning, the church opens at 07:00 for mass at which visitors are welcome, but viewing the map at these times is not permitted.

Navigating the Madiba Map: The first thing to do as you take in the Madaba map is to get orientated. As you look at the map, the map's north is to the left. Thus the Mediterranean is at the far west of the map.

Pride of place is the detailed mini map of Jerusalem, depicting city walls, gates, the central road (cardo) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the northeast of the city. South of Jerusalem is Bethlehem (marked in red letters) and Judah. Above Jerusalem are Nablus (Neapolis - the capital of Samaria), Hebron and the oasis of Jericho, surrounded by palm trees.

The central Dead Sea has boats crossing it. The Jordan River is to the side, crossed by cable-drawn ferries and with fish desperately swimming away from the salty water! The site marked as 'Sapsafas' is Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan, positioned just under a gazelle fleeing a defaced lion. Northeast of the Dead Sea is Herod's spa at Callirhöe (Zara), marked by three springs and two palm trees. Southeast of the sea is Lot's Cave, just above the settlement of Safi (Balak or Zoara), one of the 'Five Cities of the Plain' and marked by more palm trees. The dark line above is Wadi Zered, now known as Wadi Hasa.

The walled city of Karak is at the far eastern edge of the map (ie the top). To the far right, Mt Sinai is recognisable by its coloured mountains; nearby in the far south is the multichannelled Nile Delta. On a mosaic fragment in the far east are the Palestinian and Israeli towns of Gaza and Akkra, finishing off the tour of the Holy Land.