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"On the Way to Madaba"
Near The Northern End of The Dead Sea,
Jordan
Friday, December 27, 2013
Seventh Day of my Holy Land Trip, Mount Zion, Jerusalem
My Holy Land Trip
"On the Way to Madaba"
Madaba, Jordan
A view of Jordan landscape on the way from Mount Nebo, Jordan:
A camel family, view on the way to Madaba from Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Largest Mosaic Portrait, Three million mosaic stone portrait of the Kings Way at La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Prophet Noah’s Ark, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Mesha Stele, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Prophet Moses, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Handicarfts Center, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Handicarfts Center, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Handicarfts Center, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Castle Karak, Jordan:
Castle Karak, Jordan:
A view of Jordan landscape on the way from Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Just 30km from Amman,
along the 5,000-year-old Kings´ Highway, is one of the most memorable places in
the Holy Land. After passing through a string of ancient sites, the first city
you reach is Madaba, known as the “City of Mosaics."
Best known for its
spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, Madaba is home to the famous 6th
century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. With two million pieces of
vividly coloured local stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns
as far as the Nile Delta.
A camel family, view on the way to Madaba from Mount Nebo, Jordan:
The Madaba Mosaic Map
covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, which is located
northwest of the city centre. The church was built in 1896 AD, over the remains
of a much earlier 6th century Byzantine church. The mosaic panel enclosing the
Map was originally around 15.6 X 6m, 94 sq.m., only about a quarter of which is
preserved.
A camel family, view on the way to Madaba from Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Other mosaic
masterpieces found in the Church of the Virgin and the Apostles and in the
Archaeological Museum depict a rampant profusion of flowers and plants, birds
and fish, animals and exotic beasts, as well as scenes from mythology and the
everyday pursuits of hunting, fishing and farming. Literally, hundreds of other
mosaics from the 5th through the 7th centuries are scattered throughout
Madaba's churches and homes.
A view of Jordan landscape on the way from Mount Nebo, Jordan:
In line with Jordan's
commitment to restoring and preserving its mosaic masterpieces, Madaba’s
extensive Archaeological Park and Museum complex encompasses the remains of
several Byzantine churches, including the outstanding mosaics of the Church of
the Virgin and the Hyppolytus Hall, part of a 6th century mansion.
La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
The idea behind the museum is to tell you the
story of the land, from the Old Testament through to the era of the New
Testament. It's arranged in a big circle, where you walk through a winding path
to see the exhibits, which are all sculptures with 3D backgrounds behind them.
It starts with Noah's Ark, where you see a huge boat with the animals. Then,
you get to other parts of the Old Testament, like the destruction of Babylon
and where Moses split the Red Sea. Then, the religious era - where Jesus was born,
baptized and the last supper. Next is Petra, as well as a glimpse of the
traditional uniforms of the area's different tribes. After that, the Islamic
era is represented, and then the history of Jordan itself.
Largest Mosaic Portrait, Three million mosaic stone portrait of the Kings Way at La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
From this point on, all of the sculptures are motorized. This part takes you into a different era; basically, it shows you what the Bedouin life was like. Then, the Great Arab Revolt is represented, and after that, the Hashemite section, which shows the army, its different rankings and the tools and weapons they used in that time. Once you finish the historical part, you transition into a big traditional village. It's modeled to actually feel like a real village. You walk through it and see moving sculptures of all of the people doing the jobs of the old days such as pottery making , the barber, the blacksmith, everything.
Largest Mosaic Portrait, Three million mosaic stone portrait of the Kings Way at La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
You walk through the narrow streets
and the village's alleyways and you live the life of Bilad al Sham. Everything
is motorized, so you can walk into a cafe and find people smoking hookah and
listening to music. You walk in the mosque and see children reading the Quran.
There are glassblowers, someone baking, someone making rugs and carpets; all of
these sculptures of people are life-sized. You move through a scene that is two
or three stories high, with more people out above you on balconies. You are
walking into the village as if they are living there now, with all the fine
details.
Largest Mosaic Portrait, Three million mosaic stone portrait of the Kings Way at La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Located just 86km south of
Amman, Madaba has been inhabited for at least 4,500 years, and is mentioned in
the Bible as the Moabite town of Medeba (Numbers 21:30). After several
centuries of Moabite and Nabataean rule, Medeba and the surrounding lands became
part of the Roman Province of Arabia with the Emperor Trajan’s conquest of the
Nabataean Kingdom in 106 AD
Prophet Noah’s Ark, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
During the 1st century AD, Christianity spread
rapidly through the Roman province of Arabia, but the Romans persecuted
believers. Several martyrs died for their beliefs in Madaba, under the orders
of Emperor Diocletian. In the 4th century,
the emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, which then became the
dominant religion of the Roman Empire.
Prophet Noah’s Ark, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
During the Byzantine era
from the 5th century
onwards, Madaba had its own bishop, and numerous churches were constructed from
the 6th to the 7thcentury.
Mosaic floors were the hallmark of this era and continued to be made in Madaba
until the 8th century.
In 749 AD, a devastating earthquake leveled the city and it was abandoned. In
1897, three Christian families, consisting of a group of 2,000 people, migrated
to Madaba from the ancient crusader town of Karak. After that event, the city
became predominantly Christian. Numerous mosaics were discovered when new
housing and churches were built to provide for the new immigrants.
Mesha Stele, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Mesha Stele, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Prophet Moses, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Handicarfts Center, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Handicarfts Center, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Handicarfts Center, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
Handicarfts Center, La Storea Museum Complex, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Jordan:
The famous Kings Highway, Jordan:
Castle Karak, Jordan:
Castle
Karak is the base of the Crusaders security along the eastern side of the Dead
Sea. It was one of several fortresses that made a line protecting the occupation
routes up to Jerusalem. The castles stretched from Turkey all the way to Aquba
at the top of the Red Sea. Although many
castles were built by the Crusaders to protect these routes, Karak became one
of the most famous, as it was the site of many battles between the Muslim
armies and Crusaders. Karak castle was
built high on a hill with a view for miles in all direction to monitor any
movement in the area.
Castle Karak, Jordan:
Crusaders defended the castle through numerous sieges before it finally fell to the Muslim Armies of Salah ad-Din after an 8 month siege near the end of the Crusades. The castle was of such strategic importance to both sides that during an attempted peace treaty in which the Crusaders were offered the return to holy city of Jerusalem (and other cities), the Crusaders refused the offer unless Caslte Karak was also returned to their control. The negotiations fell apart from there, followed by several more years of war.
Castle Karak, Jordan:
antonykanappilly@hotmail.com
