Archaeological Park II

Madaba


Walkways lead around the ruins of this late-6th-century luxury private mansion, destroyed by fire and earthquake around 749. The walkways offer a good view of assorted mosaics, the best of which are the hunting sequences in the east wing, and the lion attacking a bull in the west wing. It's fair to say that the site takes more imagination than most.

Look out for the continuation of the ancient Roman road that runs through what is now the Archaeological Park, as well as the 6th-century Martyrs Church, which was destroyed in the 8th century. If the guard on duty is willing, you may be able to see the buried mosaics of the church: protected from the light by sand until restoration takes place, the few tesserae (squares) of mosaic that he’ll expose for you are astonishing in the vibrancy of their colour.