The Madaba Map of the Holy Land

St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba, Jordan is home to the famous Madaba Map Mosaic, which is considered the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem. The mosaic is part of the church’s floor and dates back to the early Byzantine period. The Madaba Map Mosaic is a masterpiece of art and cartography, and it depicts an area from Lebanon in the north to the Nile Delta in the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Eastern Desert. The mosaic measures 16 by 5 meters and contains more than two million tesserae. The mosaic was rediscovered in 1884 during the construction of a new Greek Orthodox church on the site of its ancient predecessor. Today, the Madaba Map Mosaic is one of the most important tourist attractions in Jordan, and it attracts visitors from all over the world. #tripblazers