Madaba - Kings Highway

The storied city of Madaba has roots reaching back through biblical history, earning a mention in the Book of Joshua as a conquered city on the edge of Moab as the Israelite's entered into Canaan after fleeing Egypt. The city was blessed with fertile farmland and the wealth that the King’s Highway – an ancient road traversing the Jordanian plateau - brought to its people and infrastructure. During Christianity's Byzantine heyday between the 4th-7th centuries A.D., Madaba gained acclaim, particularly for its stunning mosaic artworks decorating numerous churches and holy sites constructed in the area. Hundreds of thousands of hand-cut stone and glass tiles in brilliant shades covered walls, domes, and floors, depicting vibrant scenes of flowers, animals, Biblical stories, and, most famously, a 6th century mosaic map of the Holy Lands stretching from Lebanon to the Nile Delta - the oldest surviving cartographic depiction that is now protected under the domes of the Church of St. George.

Following the Islamic conquests, Madaba fell into a long decline, with it's artisitic heritage now part of history, and vulnerable abandonment and natural erosion. It wasn't until the late 19th century when locals began unearthing mosaic remnants that interest in Madaba's heritage was renewed. Subsequent archeological excavations in early 20th century unearthed a number of extraordinarily preserved mosaics hidden beneath city streets and structures, creating an influx of pilgrims and locals, reviving the city to its former glory . Several unearthed churches are now open as cultural sites with their dazzling mosaic floors on full display, glimpses into Madaba's heyday when caravan travelers would flock to this desert oasis filled with artistry, culture, and spiritual devotion glimmering pebble by pebble upon its walls.