Rosh Hashanah holiday, Madaba, Jordan

Before returning to Jerusalem, we decided to drive to Madaba, Jordan, famous for its mosaics.  We ate lunch, then ventured across the street to see the mosaic map of the Holy Land in St. George's Church.   This Greek Orthodox church is lovely and quaint, and the mosaics inside were impressive.  But the most famous mosaic is the map on the floor.  Although the church is not that old (1890's), the mosaic map dates back to the 6th century.  Time has not been kind to the map, and most of it is missing.  But you can still see Jerusalem and other important Holy Land sites on the map.  It is impressive, even in its faded, incomplete state.  I cannot imagine how long it took to construct!

Church Entrance

 Part of the map--the walled city of Jerusalem

 The altar

An old painting of St. George slaying the dragon

 Beautiful mosaics on the walls

Here's a close-up to give you an idea of the intricate detail