Madaba Archaeological Museum | Madaba

Madaba Archaeological Museum is a cultural repository located within a complex of traditional houses in the old city of Madaba, Jordan. It serves as the primary facility for the exhibition and preservation of artifacts recovered from the city and its surrounding district.

Visual Characteristics

The museum is housed in several 19th-century houses featuring interior courtyards and limestone masonry. The floors are decorated with original Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, while the display rooms contain glass cases housing pottery, glassware, and metallic artifacts. The outdoor courtyard sections contain large stone sarcophagi, capitals, and fragmented architectural elements from various historical periods.

Location & Access Logistics

The museum is situated on Balqa Street, approximately 0.4 kilometers southwest of St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church. It is positioned within the central historic district and is accessible via pedestrian corridors or by vehicle via the city's secondary roads. Visitors typically use the public parking facilities near the Madaba Visitors Center or the Archaeological Park, both within a 5-minute walking distance.

Historical & Ecological Origin

The museum was established in 1978 to protect the increasing number of archaeological finds emerging from Madaba's rapid urban expansion. The buildings themselves are heritage structures from the late Ottoman period, repurposed to display a chronological history of the region from the Iron Age through the Islamic eras.

Key Highlights & Activities

Visitors can examine a collection of 6th-century mosaics, including the "Ram in a Thicket" and depictions of the goddess Tyche. The museum features a significant display of Bronze and Iron Age pottery recovered from nearby sites like Mount Nebo and Khirbet al-Mukhayyat. Documentation of the traditional 19th-century folk heritage of the Madaba region is also presented in specialized rooms.

Infrastructure & Amenities

The facility includes indoor galleries, an open-air courtyard, and public restrooms. 4G/5G cellular coverage is available throughout the site. While the museum does not have an on-site cafe, it is located within 200 meters of numerous commercial bakeries, coffee shops, and restaurants in the Madaba market area.

Best Time to Visit

The museum is open from 09:00 to 17:00, typically Sunday through Thursday. Visiting in the early morning provides the best natural light for observing the mosaic floors in the interior rooms. It is less crowded than the primary Madaba Map site, allowing for more detailed inspection of the artifacts.

Facts & Legends

The museum contains a rare mosaic fragment from the Church of the Virgin Mary that features a Greek inscription warning visitors to "look upon the craftsmanship" and "keep your mind pure." Local accounts suggest that several of the museum's most valuable mosaics were preserved only because they were hidden beneath the reinforced floors of the Ottoman-period houses for over a century.

Nearby Landmarks

Madaba Archaeological Park – 0.4km Northeast

St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church – 0.5km Northeast

Shrine of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist – 0.2km North

Church of the Apostles – 0.4km Southeast

The Burnt Palace – 0.3km North