Madaba Map | Madaba

Information

Landmark: Madaba Map
City: Madaba
Country: Jordan
Continent: Asia

Madaba Map, Madaba, Jordan, Asia

The Madaba Map is a 6th-century floor mosaic located within the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George in Madaba, Jordan. It represents the oldest surviving cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and the city of Jerusalem.

Visual Characteristics

The mosaic consists of approximately two million individual stone tesserae in at least eight distinct colors, including terracotta, black, ochre, and blue. Originally measuring 21 by 7 meters, the surviving fragment covers an area of 16 by 5 meters. It utilizes a bird's-eye perspective to depict topography, featuring detailed vignettes of walled cities, the Jordan River with fish, the Dead Sea with boats, and regional flora such as palm trees.

Location & Access Logistics

The site is situated at 30 King Talal Street in the central district of Madaba, approximately 30 kilometers southwest of Amman. It is accessible via the King's Highway or the Airport Road (Route 15). Visitors typically arrive by private vehicle or organized transport; public parking is available at the nearby Madaba Visitors Center, located 300 meters to the north.

Historical & Ecological Origin

The mosaic was commissioned during the Byzantine period, specifically between 542 and 570 AD, to decorate the floor of a large basilica. It was rediscovered in 1884 during the construction of the modern Saint George's Church atop the ancient ruins. The cartography is based largely on the Onomasticon of Eusebius, a 4th-century gazetteer of biblical place names.

Key Highlights & Activities

Observation of the detailed plan of 6th-century Jerusalem is the primary activity, where specific landmarks like the Cardo Maximus and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre remain identifiable. Visitors can also identify the baptismal site of Bethabara and over 150 other labeled settlements throughout the Levant and Nile Delta. Photography is permitted without flash to protect the pigmented stones.

Infrastructure & Amenities

The church grounds include a ticket office, a small museum with informational panels, and a courtyard. Public restrooms are located adjacent to the church entrance. Strong 4G and 5G cellular signals are present throughout the urban center. Numerous restaurants and cafes are located within a 100-meter radius in the surrounding commercial zone.

Best Time to Visit

Natural lighting is most effective for viewing the floor mosaic between 09:00 and 11:00. The site is open daily, though access is restricted during morning liturgical services on Fridays and Sundays. The months of March through May and September through November offer temperate weather for walking between the city's various archaeological sites.

Facts & Legends

The map is oriented toward the East (the altar) rather than North, so that the geographical positions on the mosaic align with the actual compass directions of the landscape. In 1967, Israeli archaeologists used the map's precise layout of Jerusalem to successfully locate the remains of the Nea Church and the Cardo Maximus, which had been buried for over a millennium.