Church of Saint Stephen | Madaba

Information

Landmark: Church of Saint Stephen
City: Madaba
Country: Jordan
Continent: Asia

Church of Saint Stephen, Madaba, Jordan, Asia

The Church of Saint Stephen is an 8th-century Byzantine ecclesiastical structure located within the Umm ar-Rasas archaeological site in central Jordan. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for housing one of the most geographically significant and intact mosaic pavements in the Middle East.

Visual Characteristics

The landmark is a rectangular stone basilica featuring a triple-nave layout constructed from local limestone and basalt. The interior is dominated by a 150-square-meter mosaic floor dating to 785 AD, which includes a central carpet of hunting and Nilotic scenes surrounded by a double border. This border contains 28 detailed vignettes of cities from Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt, rendered in natural stone tesserae of red, yellow, black, and white.

Location & Access Logistics

The site is situated 30 kilometers southeast of Madaba, accessible via the Kings Highway or by exiting the Desert Highway (Route 15) at Dhiban. A paved access road leads to a designated parking area at the visitor center. Public transport does not service this location; access requires a private vehicle or a hired taxi from Amman or Madaba.

Historical & Ecological Origin

The church was constructed during the Umayyad period, approximately 150 years after the Islamic conquest, illustrating the continued presence of Christian communities in the region. It was built atop earlier 6th-century foundations within the ruins of the Roman military camp Kastron Mefaa. The mosaics were completed by the artist Staurachios of Hesban in the late 8th century.

Key Highlights & Activities

Visitors utilize elevated metal walkways to view the mosaic city representations, including Jerusalem, Nablus, and Gaza. Exploration of the adjacent Church of Bishop Sergius reveals additional geometric mosaics and inscriptions. Detailed observation of the mosaics provides evidence of 8th-century iconoclasm, where human and animal figures were systematically altered or replaced with floral motifs.

Infrastructure & Amenities

The church is enclosed within a large, modern protective hangar that provides total shade and protection from environmental erosion. The site includes a visitor center with basic administrative services and public restrooms. Cellular signal (4G) is available but intermittent. No food or beverage vendors operate on-site; the nearest commercial facilities are in the town of Dhiban, 14 kilometers away.

Best Time to Visit

The church is open daily from 08:00 to 17:00. Mid-morning offers the most consistent lighting for photographing the mosaic border inside the hangar. Because the site is located in an exposed steppe environment, the months of October through April are optimal to avoid the high temperatures and intense solar radiation of the summer.

Facts & Legends

The mosaic border contains the only known contemporary depiction of the site itself, labeled "Kastron Mefaa." This label allowed archaeologists to definitively identify the ruins of Umm ar-Rasas with the biblical and Roman settlement mentioned in ancient texts and the Madaba Map.