St. George Church
Marhaba, and welcome to Madaba, the country of Jordan's “City of Mosaics.” Located about 50 miles east of Jerusalem, Madaba is situated in the heart of the region known by many Christians as the Holy Land. This city's history is illustrated through ancient mosaics. The art of mosaic making is continued in the community today. Significant events recorded in the Bible and other sacred texts unfolded here and in the nearby areas, making it an important site for Muslims, Jews and Christians alike. Today, Madaba continues to welcome religious pilgrims from around the world. This tour will guide you through the Basilica of St. George, a cornerstone of Christian faith in Madaba. Local residents Jude Anton Twal and Saif and Fuad Hamarneh will provide insights into the city's history and the Basilica's ongoing role as a center of Orthodox Christian life.
Stop 1. Historic Church
You are now standing in front of the Basilica of St. George, a Greek Orthodox church in modern day Madaba. The current structure erected in the late 19th century by Christian settlers is built upon the foundations of a much earlier Byzantine church. The simple tanned stonework facade is topped with an array of bells hung high in the bell tower. These bells, like those of Christian churches around the world, are rung to announce the start of religious services for the community. The tones of these bells mix with the call to prayer from local mosques to create the unique soundscape of Madaba.
Jude Anton Twal
So my name is Jude Anton Twal, and I am from here. Madaba, Jordan. This is where I'm rooted. This is. This is. This is family. This is home. This is love. This is all of it is just packaged in one simple place called Madaba, and on top of it, I get to practice my faith here, which is such a rare occurrence, that you can actually do that in a place where you can actually see what you believe in, not just not just read about it in the book. You know? Ever since I lived in Madaba, everywhere you go, you see mosaics, it's it's there. It's kind of like it's part of the place. It's it's. It's kind of like when you go to a forest and you see trees. It's the same thing when you go to Madaba. You see mosaics everywhere.
Saif Hamarneh
Hi! My name is Saif Hamarneh, I am from Madaba. I am a high-school student in my last year, also known as tawjihi! I am eighteen years old. I am also a chanter in this church, I work in handicrafts, mainly Orthodox Rosaries. I wish everyone would visit Madaba, to see its people, to see its landmarks, to see everything that is in Madaba!
Fuad Hamarneh
The church that we see in front of us was built in 1897 A.D. with the help of the church, my ancestors and their fellows who have emigrated from Kerak City to Madaba. We're looking at a 19th century church that has used the foundation of an old Byzantine church dated back to the middle of the 6th century A.D..
Stop 2. Christian Iconography
Inside the Basilica of St. George is beautifully decorated with images of saints and scenes from the life of Jesus. Many of these works of art were commissioned and given as gifts by members of the congregation over the years. Everything from the floor up was built in the late 19th century by Arab Christian families who came to the area from Karak, a city south of Madaba. These families lived in tents and temporary shelters until authorities gave them permission to build on the ancient ruins. They decided to build a Byzantine style church in homage to the city's past.
Jude Anton Twal
You can see the amalgamation of the sounds together and just kind of gives you this, this spiritual vibe, so to speak. I mean, you can hear the church, the church's bells at some point before mass, and then afterwards you'd hear the mosque calling people to prayer. So it's kind of like like at that moment you got to stop and just go worship. So it's kind of like an amalgamation of sounds and just works together in a way to like, force you to stop and just take a breath, get in tune with yourself, maybe a moment of peace of some sorts, just by going and worshiping, and I think that's it.
Saif Hamarneh
As soon as I enter the church, I smell the smell of incense which is mainly present from the previous mass Its scent is very overpowering. Then, when I enter, the prayers would have already begun, and I can smell the scent of incense that is being made at that moment Also, I can hear the chanters all over the church, even from the street outside. I mean, whoever enters this church will find many beautiful things!
Stop 3. Mosaic Map
One of the most significant features within St. George’s is the mosaic map in the floor. This mosaic is part of the original foundation and dates back to the 6th century. Christian builders uncovered this mosaic in 1884 during the construction of the new church. This remarkable map was made using over 2 million small stones from nearby quarries. It is the earliest known depiction of the Holy Land. The mosaic includes place names in Greek, which was the language spoken there when it was made.
Jude Anton Twal
So Madaba was mentioned in the Bible about four times, which is a big deal for us, Madabians, like this is one of the best thing we could possibly say as Christians from Madaba, like Madaba was mentioned in the Bible for four times. It always has been a stop for anyone. People, people from all over the world are welcome, whether in the old days or now. It has always been a stop. Um, if one would start in Madaba, for instance, for a pilgrim journey, so to speak, it would be I think it would be like the first stop they should take because one they have well, they have their map, which is the St George map, and it's already there. It has everything you need for a pilgrimage. You just take a look, see where you want to go and just head on there.
Fuad Hamarneh
Once we enter inside the church, just to our right on the floor, we can see a remarkable mosaic. It's a beautiful mosaic flooring that is considered as a document and not just a piece of art. It is the map that has guided the pilgrims coming to the Holy Land from all over the Christian world during the Byzantine and Umayyad period. What is special about this map is that it is one of the first, if not the first mosaic map that has existed in the world in general. It is the first map for the Holy Land, and it also includes the first map ever found for Jerusalem City.
Stop 4. Wooden screen
This large wooden screen is another typical feature of Greek Orthodox church design dating back to the Byzantine period. Sometimes referred to as templon or iconostasis, this screen is decorated with icons and images of saints, prophets and the life of Jesus. It separates the nave of the church, where the congregation gathers from the sanctuary, a holy area that houses the altar and is reserved for members of the clergy.
Stop 5. The Church Today
Although it is best known outside of Madaba for its ancient history and magnificent mosaics, St. George's remains a spiritual home for Greek Orthodox Christians living in Madaba today. Religious services are open to all and attended weekly by the descendants of those families that came from Karak, as they have for generations and will for generations to come. St. George's remains an integral part of the fabric that makes up modern Madaba.
Jude Anton Twal
When I used to come here, you get to see the mosaics all across the church. But also my mom has this hobby of of actually doing the mosaics. So even if I'm not seeing it outside, I'm seeing it inside the house. So it's kind of like everywhere. And at the same time, when you go play because Madaba is a historic place, so you get to see a lot of... relics, not relics, more like archeological parks and archeological sites of some sorts. So when we used to play and in my time, you get to play on the streets and get to be curious enough to just like figure things out. You get to see like the small stones of the mosaics. You get to see them around, and some, you would debate with yourself whether to play with them or not, whether to take them out and take them with you home or not. But it's just it has always been there. It's kinda like it's part of the place. So I can't really you can't really take the mosaics out of Madaba.
Fuad Hamarneh
For me, this is my church. This is where me and many of my family, relatives and friends have been baptized, wedded, and this is also where we said the final goodbye to many of our loved ones.