MADABA
6th century Byzantine mosaic map
‘City of Mosaics’, is what Madaba is known as to most people. The earliest surviving original map of Jerusalem is to be found in Madaba. The stunning 6th century Byzantine mosaic map, which is located in the contemporary Greek Orthodox church of St. George, shows Jerusalem and other holy sites. It is made up of around two million pieces of coloured stone.
Greek Orthodox church of St. George- note the mosaic on the floor, which is the 6th Century Mosaic Map
Clearly visible on the map are al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, Nablus, al-Khalil (Hebron), Ariha The map forms part of a huge mosaic floor dating back to around AD 560. The friendly town is dotted with ancient Byzantine mosaics and it is not unusal for you to be nudged by a local of Madaba asking you to come and view the mosaics at his home, for a small fee of course!!!.
Wadi Rum:
If you want to experience a journey to another world, a visit to the Wadi Rum will do the trick. It is so beautiful, silent and timeless, that you are left speechless. It is so very huge and daunting and in its immensity, all living things are dwarfed to insignificance. We spent a full day and a night at Wadi Rum and gazed in wonder at the magnificent desert scenery of strange beauty. Lying down on your rug-sack and looking up at the starry skies, having a cup of mint-tea with the local Bedouins, listening to them strumming their ‘Oud’ is an experience not to be missed. Wadi Rum epitomizes the romance of the desert, with its valleys and towering mountains rising out of the sand. It is said that Wadi Rum was inhabited in the pre-historic periods mainly between the 8th and 6th centuries B.C.
Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia was filmed in Wadi Rum.
Along the way you see a mountain, which looks like seven pillars put together and was aptly nicknamed as the ‘Seven Pillars of Wisdom’.
JERASH
As you go North of Amman, you come across the Graeco Roman City of Jerash. The ruins are in an extraordinary state of preservation, although can be traced as dated back from the 1st century B.C. You can wander among the original temples, theaters, plazas, baths, colonnaded streets, which are all enclosed within the remaining city walls. Restoration is an ongoing process here as you can see a huge crane nestled in a corner. Many refer it to as ‘A Rome away from Rome’.
Be mesmerized by the impressive columns at the ‘Oval Plaza’ and the ‘Hippodrome’ or by the ‘Amphitheater’ or by the ‘Zeus Temple’ or simply sit among the rocks and enjoy the beautiful landscape which can be seen all around you.
Each year, during the months of July, the ancient amphitheater comes to life as 4000 spectators enjoy a celebration of Jordanian and international culture.
Mount Nebo
As you take this tour you will experience a biblical feel and when you see the sights enfolding before you, you are left with an exquisite feeling of tranquility, peace and serenity and you want it to continue and never end. We drove along the same route Prophet Moses was forbidden to travel on by the King of Edom, and stood at the place where Moses was laid to rest, and where the late Pope John Paul II tread on his first pilgrimage of the millennium.
Mount Nebo is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan. It is located west of the Roman Byzantine town of Madaba. The site is also named ‘Pisgah’ and it is said that Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah. From the top, you can have a dazzling view across the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, and far far away you can see the rooftops of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
The Serpentine Cross ? Mount Nebo
Mount Nebo’s first church was constructed in the 2nd half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses’ death. It had three apses and was preceded by a vestibule paved with plain white mosaic; two funeral chapels stood to the north and south of the lateral apses.
The old Diaconicon Baptistery
The three apsed cella (cella trichola) was preceded by a courtyard. In 531 AD a Diaconicon Baptistery was built to the north of the courtyard against one of the funeral chapels. It was reached by a short flight of stairs, as it was one meter lower than the floor of the courtyard.
This rectangular room contained the baptismal stone fountain fashioned in the form of a cross. Two Greek inscriptions show the date of the mosaic floor (August 531), the name of the mosaicists, Soel, Kaium, and Elias, and the name of the Bishop of Madaba, Elias.
The old Baptistry, which is one level lower?..note the original mosaics ..
The New Baptistery
A new baptistery with its own mosaics was built in 597-598 AD. Over the threshold at the entrance of the baptistery, we note a welcoming inscription, “Peace to All”, placed to greet visitors entering the chapel.
The Theotokos Chapel
During the first decade of the 7th century, the western door to the baptistery was walled up, three rooms of the monastery were destroyed, and the floor was leveled with the rest of the basilica. This provided the basis and foundation for the construction of the Theotokos (Mother of God) chapel.
This chapel had its own apse and was divided by a railing into two distinct rooms. The floor decoration received special attention with rich geometric multi-color designs encompassing pictures of flowers, animals as well as a ciborium above an altar flanked by two bulls and gazelles.
The Brazen Serpent Monument
The Italian artist, Giovanni Fantoni, designed the metal decorations inside the sanctuary as well as the Serpentine Cross (The Brazen Serpent Monument) on the exterior. These are symbolic of the bronze serpent taken by Moses into the desert, and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.
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Author: Judith Serrao- UAE