What to See in Madaba (Jordan)
According to Securitypology, Madaba is located 33 km south of Amman. Previously, the city was called Medaba and was mentioned in the Bible. The city was founded 4.5 thousand years ago and is now one of the centers of Christianity in the Middle East. Most of Madaba is now occupied by an archaeological park. The main attraction of the city is the Church of St. George in the city center, where there is a mosaic in the form of a map of Palestine, depicting the territory of the Holy Land with its surroundings. It was made in the 6th century AD and is the oldest such mosaic in the world. In the original, it consisted of 2.3 million pieces and had a size of 25×5 m. A large collection of mosaics can be seen in the Madaba Museum. There is also a collection of national costumes, jewelry and ceramics. There are ruins at the entrance to the city. Church of the Apostles. This Byzantine church was built in the 6th century AD. Here is a very interesting floor mosaic, which is known as the “Incarnation of the Sea” and which depicts a woman who emerged from the sea, surrounded by mythical aquatic creatures and animals. Madaba is famous for its woven carpets, which are sold in many shops in the city.
10 km west of Madaba lies the famous Mount Nebo. (833 m.). It is mentioned in the Bible as the place from where God showed Moses the Promised Land. The mountain has two peaks – Siyakha and Mukhayat. On Mount Siyakha, there are now the ruins of a Byzantine monastery, where you can see a 3×9 m mosaic with images of hunters and animals. Another attraction of this place is a large ornate cross with a snake, a copy of the cross that belonged to Moses. It resembles the current crosses, which depict the crucifixion.
2 km from the Jordan River near Madaba is a place called Wadi Harar where Jesus Christ was baptized and where John the Baptist preached. It is referred to in the Bible as “Bethany beyond the Jordan”. This is a world-famous place of pilgrimage, the largest number of Christians gather here during Easter. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Archaeological Park was opened in Wadi Harar, where archaeologists discovered the remains of Byzantine monasteries and monastic cells, the source of John the Baptist, whose waters fill several baths intended for baptism. The entire park is criss-crossed by hiking trails that connect the attractions of the park. The most important attraction is the complex of monasteries of John the Baptist, which was built in the 6th-7th centuries AD. on the site of the baptism of Jesus Christ and initially consisted of four monasteries. The remains of walls with paintings, columns, arches and floor mosaics have been preserved here. The very place of the baptism of Jesus Christ is already in the dried up former bed of the Jordan River. Every year, many pilgrims come to Wadi Harar in order to bow to these shrines and be baptized in the sacred waters of the source of John the Baptist.
The Dead Sea is located near Madaba.- the lowest place on the planet. In the northern part of the Dead Sea coast there are 3 resort areas – Movenpick, Dead Sea Spa Hotel and Dead Sea Holiday House, which offer their clients treatment with the waters and mud of the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is the most salty body of water on the planet, the salinity of its waters is 350 grams per 1 kg of water, so the water is very “dense” and resembles a thick liquid. It has a high concentration of magnesium and bromine salts, trace elements such as copper, zinc and cobalt, and its pH is 9. Dead Sea water and mud help prevent skin pathologies (psoriasis, atonic dermatitis, vitiligo, ichthyosis, scleroderma, mycoses, window, lichen planus), chronic arthritis, polyarthritis, arthrosis, neuralgia, various postural disorders, diseases of the nervous system (neurosis, asthenoneurotic conditions, bulimia or anorexia neurosis, multiple sclerosis, post-stress syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome), allergic-immunological diseases, and fight overweight and cellulite. In addition, dry, clean, highly bromine and almost dust-free air and sun rays are used in the treatment, which are filtered by an additional layer of air (the Dead Sea is located below sea level). The coast of the Dead Sea, with the exception of artificially equipped zones, is rocky. Swimming in the Dead Sea is truly amazing, because due to the high salinity of the waters, you will not even be able to dive, your body will always stay on the surface of the water. The coastal mud of the Dead Sea is considered healing, it contains many minerals, so tourists often apply it to their skin.
Not far from the Dead Sea, 25 km from Madaba, there are hot mineral springs Zarqa Main. In the waters of Zarqa Main, King Herod the Great of Judea was treated. Now a modern wellness center has been created here, which includes a hoteland a health center. This center treats diseases such as rheumatism, arthritis, sinusitis, diseases of the digestive tract and the circulatory system.
On the shores of the Dead Sea is the Wadi Mujib nature reserve., which is the lowest nature reserve in the world. Its landscape is mountainous with numerous canyons. The elevation difference here reaches 1300 m. A large number of predators live here, such as caracal (desert lynx), hyena and Syrian wolf. The mountain goat, the Nubian ibex, which was practically exterminated in past centuries, is especially protected on the territory of Wadi Mujib.
