Mosaics in Madaba

Beautiful mosaic floors have been unearthed in Madaba, the most famous being in the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, which contains the astonishing mosaic map of Jerusalem. This mosaic dates from the 6th century CE and, while unfortunately it is very fragmentary, there is a good picture of Jerusalem. It is one of the earliest contemporary maps of the country.

Other mosaics:
House of Mitri al-Masarawa on the east side of the town; a small perfect floor with animal figures and a medallion containing a female head in the center. House of Misa’ad al-Twal, near the above; large floor, probably of a private villa, partly built over by the modern house. Figures of a man and woman dancing, the woman wearing cymbals on her wrists and ankles; also some animal figures.

House of Aziz Shawaihat, on the west side of the town: remains of three or four different pavements, one in the courtyard, all in a poor state. Part of a very fine floor which was in a house on the south side of the town has been removed to the museum for preservation, as it was being utilized for the floor of a garage. This floor is made of exceptionally long tesserae or stones, at least twice the length of those usually found.