From Amman, heading south along the 5,000-year-old King’s Highway, passing a series of ancient ruins, is one of the most memorable journeys in the Holy Land.
The first city will encounter is Madaba, the “city of mosaics”. Known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, the city is home to the famous 6th-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The map uses 2 million colored gemstones to depict villages and towns in the hills and valleys as far as the Nile Delta. Other mosaic masterpieces found at the Church of Our Lady and Apostles and the Archaeological Museum depict flowers, birds, fish, animals, and exotic beasts, as well as mythological scenes and the daily activities of hunting, fishing, and farming. Literally hundreds of other mosaics from the 5th to the 7th centuries are scattered throughout Madaba’s churches and homes.
