Madaba

Located approximately 50 miles from Amman, it is a mountainous area. Beautiful landscapes jute out from the road we are driving on. Green hills and rock formations every way you look.

This city of Madaba is mentioned in the Old Testament as being conquered by the tribes of Israel. This city was once known as an important centre of Christianity.

St. George’s Church sits in the centre of the town. Around this same area it is also known as Archaeological Park with several more 6th-century churches. Here you see impressive mosaic maps that are felt to be dated back to 527-65 AD. The map in St. George’s depicts cities such as Gethsemane, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, etc.

As you make your way to these various sites of churches, the guide points out that a road we are standing on once led to Rome. You have to take a step back and ask yourself who all walked this road. This land changed hands several times under Roman dominion and the town weathered invasions by the Persians and Muslims and was even abandoned at one point.

My sister Anne Tuttle does quilting and is visiting Jordan in November. I am anxious for her to see these mosaics to see how this may compare with quilting. I will let you know her thoughts in an upcoming blog.

I purchased a carved olive wood camel from St. George’s. It stands about 10 inches high and about that in length. I am hoping to go back to shop in Madaba soon as they had many shops with intriguing items in the windows.

A real treat was our lunch at Mrah Salameh restaurant. It is built in a cave and the food was exceptional! The walls down stairs have carvings on them and George the owner is not sure when they date back too. The hummus made me think about my niece Abbie Meemken, as she is a superb cook and has shared her recipe for hummus with my daughter Mary and myself. I cannot let Abbie know, but this hummus did rival hers. We had amazing salads and here when you order a salad it is made with FRESH vegetables. You feel like you are eating in a garden. You must try the crunchy falafel which is like a one inch round fried hush puppy. Yes, we left the restaurant looking forward to our next visit, which my kids have done so a couple of times since our first visit. Oh, George is a sweet host and personally gives the tours in his restaurant.

Next time I will describe Betheney, the area where Jesus was baptized and other amazing sites described in the Bible.

Thank you for keeping up with me on the journey. I am still battling allergies and then on top of that, I developed lower back issue. So, I am major behind on sharing my adventures. But, until next time…

#MrahSalameh #AmmanJordan #hummus #olivewoodcamels #Jordan