Madaba- 14\1\2019
Madaba contains a historic old city quarter, complete with Roman ruins, churches and an alarming number of souvenir shops.
It was supposed to be my gateway to the Dead Sea, Bethany on the Jordan, and Karak. Due to the fact that almost no one stays in the town, and public transport being almost non-existant, I ended up skipping most of it.
I spent a morning visiting Mount Nebo, which is believed to be where Moses first viewed the Holy Land. According to Christian tradition, Moses was also buried there. It made for an interesting if not exciting diversion, trying to take photos while dodging large groups of the devout.
The church itself had some excellent mozaics, which this area is famous for.
I returned to the city in an empty bus, and a completed a self-guided walking tour.
The first step was Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church, featuring a 5th century mosaic floor of the Middle East, which is famous, and the bread and butter of many of the souvenir shops.
Next was the Burnt Palace, an expansive private residence. The site also includes a church, which also has a mosaic floor.
A nearby site is the Madaba Archaeological Park, featuring a church, the remains of a Roman road, and the crypt of Saint Elianus.
A decent hike way is the Church of the Apostles, which features, shockingly, floor mosaics.
The last stop, and up a tough hill, was thhe Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist. For me it’s true drawcard was underground- the Acropolis Museum .
I also climbed to the top of the bell tower, which had some incredible views.
Adrian's Got The Moose 