Situated 30 km (19 miles) south-west from Amman. Madaba's history goes back 3,000 BC. The earliest traces of human civilization so far discovered come from the highest point in the town (the Acropolis) At the southern entrance to the city, nestled next to the road which wend its way down towards Kerak, is the Church of the Apostles. The ruins were discovered at the beginning of this century. They date to 578 AD, and are adorned with the beautiful mosaic floors, signed by a craftsman named Salamaniors.

Ten years after the main repopulation of Madaba in 1890, the greatest, and most significant, of all the city's treasures was unearthed: the Mosaic Map of Palestine. The find was hailed as the oldest map in existence, and is located on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George at Madaba. Its central location makes it a good place to take a break from the bustling souq. Externally the church belies its ornate, treasure-filled interior. The eastern section of the church, near the altar, is where surviving portions of the map may be seen. It measures 88 m2 (927 square feet), and extends between what are now the central and south naves. The map represents the Holy Land and surrounding regions.

Leaving St. George's Church with its heavily adorned walls, lines of chandeliers, and famed map is no easy task. Except for a few reminders of our century, life has changed little in this biblical town. Carpets, saddle bags and tapestries are crafted from dazzling hues of wool. Weavers hard at their looms in the shades of their shops, are happy to sit and chat, over a glass of hot sweet tea.

If you continue a few blocks south of the Tourist Office to the Museum, you pass a few small construction sites where mosaic floors have been unearthed. Madaba is an archaeologist's paradise.