The little town of Madaba is 45 minutes’ drive from Jordan's capital Amman, and we loved it.
It’s perfect for getting your bearings and relaxing a little after the busyness of the capital city. It’s at the ideal level of development right now too. There are plenty of things to do in Madaba and there’s good tourism infrastructure like restaurants and souvenir shops - but it’s not busy and people are happy to see you and to chat to you.
Tour groups stop off for a quick look at the world famous mosaic map and maybe lunch and then they are off again. So if you stay a few nights you can really enjoy the relaxed vibe of the town.
Madaba's magical mosaics
Madaba is known for its Roman remains - in particular mosaics. The most famous is the remarkable Madaba Map – a mosaic depiction of the main sites in the Christan Holy land which is truly unique – in part because of the way buildings and boats are depicted in three dimensions. You find it inside the Greek Orthodox St George’s church – often just called the Church of the Map.
There are also numerous other sites dotted around the little town and we actually preferred them to the Map. There are quite spectacular mosaics depicting life in Roman times, wild animals and all sorts of intricate decorations.
Start at the Visitor Centre where you can pick up a handy free map of the sites. Then take a look at the Archaeological Park, the Institute for Mosaic Art and of course the Church of the Map. They are all within a short walk of each other. Check opening times though as they do vary.
Exploring Madaba's outskirts
Because we stayed several nights we could explore a little further. A 20 minute walk through the sleepy back streets brought us to the far side of town and another fine set of mosaics at the Church of the Apostles and more at the Madaba Museum. The Museum is a fascinating little place, tucked down a little alleyway, we were virtually the only people there. This meant we couldn’t really avoid the friendly unsolicited guided tour by an attendant and inevitable request for a tip.
Not on the free map but definitely worth a visit is the Shrine of the Beheading of St John the Baptist a couple of streets back towards the town centre. There’s a spooky acropolis beneath the church and if you’ve a head for heights you can climb the bell tower – the highest spot in the area – for amazing views.
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Hanging out is such fun
A big part of the joy of Madaba though is just hanging out, wandering the little streets, munching falafel, saying hello to people. I got my rucksack and shoes repaired by a lovely guy with his sewing machine for just a few Dinars. We drank cool lemon and mint juice on a roof terrace as the sun slowly sank behind the town’s minaret. We munched kebabs, kibe and hummus on another rooftop in the cool of the evening. Souvenir shopping is good too, as there are lots of little places and there is little hassle.
A day trip from Madaba
A great day trip from Madaba by car is Mount Nebo. It’s around an hour’s drive and easy to find. This amazing hilltop viewpoint is where God apparently showed Moses the Promised Land. There are more ancient remains and a peaceful church here. The hillside drops away steeply in front of you under clear blue skies and the Dead Sea glistens on the horizon. On a really clear day you can apparently see Jerusalem. It can get quite busy here with tourist buses, but these groups are usually on a strict timeframe and don’t hang around.
There’s a uniquely peaceful atmosphere so plan to spend at least an hour taking it all in. There are remains and mosaics to admire along with the Moses Memorial Church which also features lots of more quite beautiful mosaics. For lunch we climbed up to the Nebo Palace restaurant on the hilltop overlooking the site for even wider views. The owner is an American Jordanian and he was full of interesting opinions the complexities of Middle Eastern politics which made for a fascinating end to our visit.
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