Less than 10 km (6 miles) west of Madaba, towards the River Jordan, Mount Nebo soars above the great eastern plateau that stretches out to the West Bank and beyond. Nebo rises to about 800 metres (2,625 feet) at its apex and has, as its two most prominent crests, Syagha and Al Mukhayyet.

At Syagha, above the windswept plains, a chapel was erected in honor of the prophet Moses which drew many pilgrims. It was in the last two decades of the 19th Century that two crucial accounts came to light which confirmed Nebo to be the resting place of Moses.
The first was a 4th century narrative by a traveler named Egeria, who recorded that the clergy there maintained the chapel had been sited where Moses had died, reputedly buried by angels.
The second of accounts was given by Peter the Iberian, Bishop of Gaza, who wrote the chapel's devine pedigree. The Monastery at Syagha was constructed partly on the foundations of the early chapel. It is said to have been erected by monks from Egypt to commemorate the last moment of Moses' life. Some of the most magnificent Byzantine mosaic work in Jordan is housed within its walls.

Surrounding the monastery are the low-lying ruins of other ancient buildings. These, and the roof of the monastery probably fell victim to the great earthquake in 749 AD. At the east end of the monastery's outer wall stands what is thought to be a gigantic millstone, though some locals maintain its purpose was more sinister.

As you arrive at the monastery up the hill path, a new rest house is on the left. It offers snacks, a wonderful vantage point and provides a cool place to shelter from the biting winds that howl across the mountain's face. The little rest house has its own mosaic proudly displayed on one wall. Inside the monastery on the right is a small collection of souvenirs and booklets.

Higher still above Syagha, just east of Mount Nebo is a place now called Khirbet Al-Mukhayyad. Tombs in the vicinity which have been excavated verify that the settlement has been populated since at least 2000 BC.