Ḩayy Muḩammad al Fātiḩ, Jordan Travel Journals & Blogs

Greece, Egypt and Jordan
- Jan 23, 2023, 10:00am · ☀️ 12 °C Altitude: 2,608 ft
  Jordan Madaba Ḩayy al Hāshimī 31.714279, 35.79378431°42’51” N 35°47’38” E
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Day34
The Shrine of St John the Baptist
January 23 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
From St. George's Church, we walked up to the Shrine of the Beheading of John the Baptist which we had spotted on our way to the restaurant last night. What an interesting place! As well as the church itself, we were able to explore the tunnels and caves underneath it and climb to the top of the belltower for amazing views of the city of Madaba. There was also an on-site museum with lots of photos of miserable-looking children 'rescued' by Catholic priests and nuns in the early years of the 20th century. Great value at just 1 JOD for a ticket.Read more
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Greece, Egypt and Jordan
- Jan 22, 2023, 7:30am · ⛅ 9 °C Altitude: 2,644 ft
  Jordan Madaba An Naşr 31.731324, 35.78253231°43’53” N 35°46’57” E
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Day33
A mosaic workshop in Madaba
January 22 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
We left the hotel at 8am after an OK buffet breakfast. Our first stop was just 10 minutes up the road at a mosaic workshop where disabled people are trained in producing beautiful pieces of art. They use the same technique I learned in Amman except they use a flour and water glue instead of PVA. Laura hadn't seen it before and was keen to have a go. We enquired about classes for our free day tomorrow. They said we could just turn up!

Several members of our group bought gifts to take home. We just took photos 📸 😀Read more
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Greece, Egypt and Jordan
- Jan 22, 2023, 4:30pm · ☀️ 15 °C Altitude: 2,543 ft
  Jordan Madaba Ḩayy Bayt al Maqdis 31.724246, 35.79504331°43’27” N 35°47’42” E
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Day33
The end of our Intrepid Jordan trip
January 22 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
After our visit to Jerash, we drove back to our hotel 🏨 in Madaba. It was time to say goodbye to Sofyan and our driver. It had been a really enjoyable tour.

Later, the seven of us played cards over a few drinks in the hotel bar and then went to Adonis for a final group dinner. It was a restaurant Sofyan had recommended. The food was excellent and a good evening was had by all 😀Read more
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Greece, Egypt and Jordan
- Jan 23, 2023, 9:00am · ☀️ 11 °C Altitude: 2,575 ft
  Jordan Madaba Al Kātidrā’īyah al Yūnānīyah al Urthudhuksīyah 31.717808, 35.79421531°43’4” N 35°47’39” E
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Day34
St. George's Church, Madaba
January 23 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C
The seven of us had a last breakfast together this morning. Molly, Selim, and Sam were all starting their journeys back to Australia today so we said our goodbyes.

Laura, Matt, Mark and I went out to explore Madaba. Our first stop was St. George's Greek Orthodox Church, home to the Madaba Mosaic Map. This map was part of the floor mosaic in the early Byzantine church which stood on the site. It shows part of the Middle East and contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. It dates to the sixth century AD.

In 746, Madaba was largely destroyed by an earthquake and subsequently abandoned. The mosaic wasn't rediscovered until 1884, during the construction of a new church on the site of its ancient predecessor.

Today, for the princely sum of 1 JOD each, visitors can enjoy the spectacular map mosaic, as well as many others decorating the walls. It was well worth a visit and we all felt it should have been included on our tour.Read more
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Greece, Egypt and Jordan
- Jan 23, 2023, 11:00am · ☀️ 14 °C Altitude: 2,589 ft
  Jordan Madaba Dayr Allātīn Professional and Cultural Centre 31.715526, 35.79389431°42’56” N 35°47’38” E
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Day34
Another city, another mosaic class
January 23 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C
After our visit to John the Baptist's shrine, Laura and I went to do a mosaic class just up the road. This was in preference to the out of town place we went to yesterday. Laura had never done it before and, even though I had, it was interesting because it was a different technique to the one Mohammed taught me in Amman.

We could do whatever design we wanted. Laura chose to write the word 'love' in Arabic. I did another geometric pattern, similar to the one I did before.

This time, we used a cement made up of 2 parts sand and one part silica. We put a thick layer of this in the frame and then pushed the tiles in it to create the design. When we finished, we levelled it off to give s smooth finish.

Overall, I think I prefer the technique I learned with Mohammed.

After the class, we went our separate ways. We spent the rest of the afternoon editing photos 📸 and posting. Later, we went down the road for a bite to eat.Read more
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Traveler Israel, Jordanien, Ägypten
- Feb 26, 2020, 3:48pm · ☀️ 12 °C Altitude: 786 m
  Jordan Madaba 31.718464, 35.79307631°43’6” N 35°47’35” E
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Day18
Madaba
February 26, 2020 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Karin hat sich einen Ausflug zur Georgskirche mit besonderen Mosaiken gewünscht und so machen wir uns auf, zu einem weiteren abenteuerlichen Busausflug nach Madaba. Dort schauen uns die Kirche mit besonders vielen Bildern und dem besonders alten Bodenmosaik einer Landkarte der damaligen Zeit sowie den Mosaikpark an und lassen uns zeigen, wie Mosaike damals und heute erstellt wurden und werden. Wir können jedoch nicht erkennen, wo der im Reiseführer angekündigte atemberaubende Anblick zu finden ist.Read more
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Traveler Middle East 2022
- Oct 13, 2022, 4:49pm · ☀️ 21 °C Altitude: 770 m
  Jordan Madaba Ma’dabā Agricultural Cooperation Society 31.71415, 35.79083831°42’51” N 35°47’27” E
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Day11
My Madaba stay
October 13, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Madaba is a small town with everything you need and nicely located to the sites I was visiting. The centre of town is, of course, difficult to drive in but is only a few blocks.

Stayed at the most marvelous little hotel. Tell Madaba is run by Edward and his mother and father who welcome you like family and are a wealth of advice and conversation. It was renovated in 2019 and is fabulous.

Had dinner at the Adonis Restaurant and it was very nice. A dish called Sajyeh or Sagiat. Upscale sort of place

Second night dinner was a takeaway shawarma for 1JD.Read more
Traveler
Very attractive and welcoming.
10/14/22Reply
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Marko Bratkovič Jordan
- Nov 4, 2021 · 🌙 18 °C Altitude: 783 m
  Jordan Madaba Ḩayy Bayt al Maqdis 31.721889, 35.79649731°43’19” N 35°47’47” E
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Day16
Madaba
November 4, 2021 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
In early morning it was time to leave for Madaba. We took the regular bus, small, packed, full of locals being interested in us haha. Driving in Jordan is so nice, seeing endless deserts, each being different color. After 2 hours or so we came to Madaba. Well, close to it. The thing is they just stop on the highway and out you go. It was either getting off the highway and hitch hike or something but I started talking to some guys there and one offered us a ride pretty cheap. And before we knew it we were in Madaba 😊
This is a nice city, all the streets with bars and restaurants. We spent the whole day walking around and finally stopped at this great café Lilian found online. Really chill garden, lots of cats, great coffee, teas, sandwiches. We just chilled for the whole day. We sat, we talked, putting cats off the table all the time, they are so lovely! This café also has a library, really one of the nicest cafés ever.
In the evening I tried to get the pcr to be able to fly home and guess what - results take 3 days! And I leave in 2? Problem!Read more
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Opération Harissa Volante
- Nov 26, 2019 · 🌙 11 °C Altitude: 796 m
  Jordan Madaba Ḩayy Muḩammad al Fātiḩ 31.72174, 35.7917731°43’18” N 35°47’30” E
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Day114
Madaba - Mont Nébo
November 26, 2019 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
Journée à Madaba. Ici la spécialité c'est la mosaïque : animaux, scènes mythologiques, et même une carte de la Palestine (moyennement fiable). Nous montons dans le clocher de l'Eglise St Jean Baptiste en se faufilant entre les cloches pour admirer la vue sur la ville, avant de se rendre au mont Nebo où Moïse se serait arrêté, ne pouvant entrer sur la Terre Promise. Alors que nous cherchons un endroit d'où admirer le coucher de soleil, des Jordaniens nous proposent de partager du thé et des brochettes.Read more
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Traveler Middle East 2022
- Oct 12, 2022, 3:13pm · ⛅ 24 °C Altitude: 784 m
  Jordan Madaba Al Kātidrā’īyah al Yūnānīyah al Urthudhuksīyah 31.717734, 35.79372831°43’4” N 35°47’37” E
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Day10
St. George Greek Orthodox Church
October 12, 2022 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
A short walk through an uber touristy pedestrian mall is the still active St. George Church with Madaba's most famous attraction.

This is the huge mosaic map of the Middle East from Lebanon to the Nile Delta and is the oldest map of the Holy Land, being crsfted between 542 and 570. When Madaba was destroyed, it was covered, and was found when a new church was being constructed in 1884.The original map would have been 21 by 7m and had over 2 million pieces.

The interior of the church is a beautiful and elaborate Orthodox church and all the "paintings" normal to churches are actually mosaics.Read more
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