Sunday, September 10, 2017

Madaba

The second half of our Friday outing was to the nearby city of Madaba, the City of Mosaics. After visiting Mount Nebo, we drove ten minutes to the quaint town.

The town of Madaba dates back to the Roman times, and we visited two sites before stopping for lunch: the archaeological park where sections of the original Roman cobblestone streets and mosaics are preserved and the Basilica of St. George.



The Basilica of St. George is most famous for the mosaic map of the region inlaid to the floor and dating back to the 6th century. With two million pieces of colored stone, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns in Palestine and the Nile Delta. 




My mom would have really loved this one. She always liked churches, so I lit another candle for her. Hers is the tallest one. 



We had a delicious lunch of traditional Lebanese mezze followed by baked chicken and lamb baked in milk at Haret Jdoudna. After lunch we were given an hour of "free time" to explore the town. Not nearly enough time for our resident photographer who could have easily spent hours if not days exploring the nooks and crannies of the old town.

The kids enjoyed watching a weaver at his loom, hand-craft rugs and another vendor making sand art in tiny glass vials.




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