Jordan: Madaba, Mount Nebo, Amman

Spring Break Day Two (continued from part one)

I slept a little extra the next day and the ultramarathon had left me a little sore in the shins and calves, but I could still walk. I wanted to do some sightseeing in one of the cities around Amman, but I wasn't exactly sure where. Unfortunately I had been using a guidebook from 2002, so when I told the taxi driver I wanted to go to Abdali Station, he was confused. It seems that in the past few years they phased out Abdali as the major bus station and built an entirely new one, called North Station somewhere north of Abdali. North Station is a massive parking lot with buses, and it's a good thing I read Arabic because the destinations are written only in Arabic.

I hopped on the bus to Madaba, which was only about a 45 minute ride. It only cost 50 piasters (about $0.71). The ride from Amman to Madaba was beautiful, as it passed through the rolling, green, Jordanian countryside. Madaba is known in the Bible as the land of Moab, and its most famous landmark today is the Church of the Map, an ancient Greek Orthodox Church. Inside the church is a large mosaic, which is the earliest known map of the Holy Land.

Road to Madaba





The Church of the Map




The map mosaic, in the Church of the Map




The shrine to Mary in the basement of the church was more interesting as it is the site of the "Blue Mary." Apparently there had always been paintings of Mary in the shrine, but one night the painting miraculously drew a blue hand, which is thought to be a helping hand from Mary to the people of Madaba.

Shrine of Mary in the Church of the Map (Blue Mary on the right)


Afterward, I went to the Madaba Archeological Park, which contains some interesting mosaics and tombs from several churches that were originally built in the 5th century.

Madaba Archeological Park





After wandering around Mababa for awhile, I headed to the bus station, where I took a servecee to Mount Nebo, which was only a few minutes drive away from Madaba.

Mount Nebo is where Moses is believed to be buried and is thought to have first saw the Promised Land. On the top of the mountain is a monument to Moses, and a small museum.

The view from Mount Nebo was incredible. On a clear day it is possible to see Jericho, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives from the mountain.

Overlooking the Holy Land.



This was a stone used to guard an ancient Byzantine Church that was once here.


Turkey on the mountain.


Memorial to Moses.


Overlooking the Dead Sea.



I didn't realize that Mount Nebo was far removed from passing traffic, and I didn't ask the servecee driver to wait for me while I visited the moutain. Therefore I had to walk down the mountain and through one of the villages on the way to Madaba. I talked to one of the villagers for awhile in Arabic while he rode his donkey. I passed a small shop where a boy who was about 5 years old wanted me to buy some things at his store and have his Dad drive me back to town, though I declined his offer. After a few kilometers of walking, I finally found a bus which took me back to Madaba for only 15 piasters. I had lunch in Madaba before catching a bus back to Amman.

Shepherds in the village I passed through, outside Mount Nebo.


Within Madaba. The main road was being renovated.


In Amman I was able to find an Internet center where I could check my email. Perhaps one of the funniest things on my whole trip occurred in this place, where a few crazed Jordanians were playing soccer against each other on the computer. Whenever one of them won, he would shout, "Allahu akbar," meaning "God is the greatest." It's only funny when you consider that the only place I've heard it used is in a sacred religious context, not to celebrate a soccer victory.