Half an hour south of Amman, Madaba is a small market town renown for its many well preserved mosaics. The most famous mosaic is the Map of Madaba, a 6th century mosaic housed in the modern church of St Georges which contains the earliest surviving map of Jerusalem. Elsewhere in Madaba, several Byzantine churches and mansions survive, some containing excellent mosaic floors, and more mosaics can be seen in the Madaba Museum.
The town itself has an ancient history, first mentioned in the Old Testament, and became an important centre for early Christians in the Byzantine era. However, the town was largely abandoned for a thousand years until reoccupied by Christian settlers from Kerak in the late 19th century. The modern town has grown to a population of around 60,000, but has retained a large Christian population. The area around Madaba is excellent farmland, and the town is known for several excellent bakeries and restaurants, including Haret Jdoudna, one of the top restaurants in Jordan.
