The Tourist Gaze

From Amman, we head south towards the King’s Highway, a winding, scenic route that threads through some of Jordan’s most beautiful landscapes. A magnificent-sounding translation of an old Hebrew term that probably only meant “main road,” the King’s Highway is a vital path for the north-south trade and the site of ancient battles. Nowadays, it’s a modest road, sometimes narrow and worn, tracing the gentle rise and fall of hills above the Dead Sea valley. Nonetheless, it’s the main route to Madaba, our destination for the morning.

Madaba holds a special place in religious history and culture due to its mosaics. The remarkable collection of ancient mosaics found throughout the city, particularly from the Byzantine and early Islamic periods, has led to it being christened “City of Mosaics.” Its rich history as a center of artistic and cultural activity is evidenced by these intricate mosaics, which were used to decorate churches, homes, and public buildings.

We get down from the bus parked in the visitor center in the middle of the city and walk our way to St. George’s Church. The church, unassuming especially now that it’s being renovated and surrounded by scaffolding, is a modest 19th-century Greek Orthodox building with stone walls and simple, arched windows. The church itself is adorned with traditional Orthodox icons, while dim candlelight and the filtered sunlight that streams through stained glass lend a sacred ambiance to the place.

The church’s true treasure, though, lies on the ground: the famous Madaba Map. This map, crafted from thousands of colorful stone tiles, intricately depicts the Holy Land as it was understood in Byzantine times, with Jerusalem at its heart. The mosaic, created in the 6th century, is one of the earliest known maps of the Holy Land, vividly illustrating biblical sites across Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt.

“It’s like painting with history,” Louie tells us in a room separate from the church, as explanations are forbidden in the sanctuary.

After leaving St. George’s Church, we head to a nearby restaurant tucked along a side street. We sit down and after a few minutes of grazing on appetizers, the star of our meal arrives: maklouba, a traditional Jordanian dish with a name that translates to “upside-down.” Our server places a large, steaming pot on a table, then performs a practiced flip, carefully inverting the pot to reveal a layered, golden-brown mountain of rice, tender meat, and perfectly cooked potatoes.

Tummy grumbles fixed, we board the bus to Mount Nebo. Located about 10 kilometers northwest of Madaba, this collection of peaks holds deep religious significance for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. From this elevated viewpoint, Moses is said to have glimpsed the Promised Land after leading the Israelites through the wilderness for forty years, though God forbade him to enter it. According to tradition, Moses died here, with Joshua eventually guiding the Israelites into Canaan. While Jewish and Christian beliefs suggest Moses was buried on Mount Nebo, Muslim tradition holds that his remains were taken across the river and interred near today’s Jericho–Jerusalem road. Whether or not his burial site is here, Mount Nebo’s powerful atmosphere draws visitors to its remote peak, where an ancient church and its breathtaking mosaics stand as enduring symbols of the mountain’s spiritual legacy.

As we reach the summit, the landscape unfolds in a sweeping panorama that stretches from the Jordan Valley to the distant, hazy outline of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.

“See over there,” Louie points straight ahead and tells our group, “the land promised by God.” For a moment, I and a few of our group stand in silence while the others roam around to take pictures. It feels as though history were layered in the air around us.

After a few minutes of picture-taking, we enter the the Memorial Church of Moses perched at the peak of Mount Nebo. From the outside, its stone walls colored with the natural tones of the mountain blend into the landscape. Inside, however, the church comes to life with intricate mosaics, preserved from the early Byzantine period, depicting scenes of daily life, hunting, and biblical stories.

We gather for Mass, sitting at the pews arranged in a circular fashion so that we’re surrounding the altar at the front of the church. “A pilgrimage,” Fr. Randy, our tour chaplain, says as he begins his homily, “is not just a journey to historical sites. It’s about a journey within. It’s about transformation. The places we visit, the stories we hear—they’re meant to change us. We’re not just retracing the steps of the past; we’re walking toward a new understanding of ourselves and our faith.”

After getting down from Mt. Nebo and before going back to Amman, we stop at one of the local mosaic stores in Madaba. The shop is a polished operation, displaying a wide array of intricately designed mosaic pieces, from small souvenir tiles to large, sometimes life-sized, works of art. It’s clear that the store is one of those shops tailored to tourists herded off a tour bus: the prices are notably higher than one might expect, and the shop features a lengthy sales talk by what I assume is the store owner about how these are authentic and “exclusive” to the store.

Nonetheless, it also offers a glimpse into the craftsmanship that still thrives in Madaba. Local women are working on new mosaics to be added to the store’s collection, carefully placing colorful stones into intricate patterns. These women, some of whom have learned the trade from family members, are skilled in turning raw materials into delicate, lasting pieces of art. But they’re way out of my budget, so I settle for a couple of ref magnets and key chains.