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The archaeological hill of Madaba, which is located on a high plateau in the center of the city, occupies a historical and religious importance, as the Church of the Latin Monastery is located in it, which is one of the oldest churches in Jordan and religious rites have been held in it since the sixth century. It will be on the Madaba tourist route soon.

Although the archaeological hill of Madaba is located in the center of the city and near urbanization, it did not suffer any damage, thanks to the efforts of the Department of Antiquities, which realized the importance of the site and appropriated it, and began rehabilitation and excavations to uncover archaeological and heritage monuments in it.

The Director of Antiquities of Madaba Governorate, Khaled al-Hawari, told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) that the archaeological hill of Madaba contains archaeological accumulations dating back to different periods, from the Bronze Ages 3300 BC through the Iron Ages. Madaba was mentioned in the obelisk of King Mesha among the cities he liberated. Then the continuous settlement in Tell Madaba continued in the Nabataean, Roman and Byzantine periods until the Islamic eras.

He added that the importance of this archaeological hill comes because it stored many historical periods that passed through the city of Madaba, and it will be open to visitors after the completion of the restoration work, which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

And he indicated that the Department of Antiquities began to rehabilitate the ancient hill of Madaba with the aim of protecting and preserving the elements of the cultural site such as buildings and mosaic floors and marketing the site within the Madaba governorate, as a complementary and supportive part of tourism within the governorate and linking with the surrounding sites to prolong the stay of the tourist.

He pointed out that the rehabilitation processes for the site highlight the importance of heritage buildings and their rehabilitation, preserving the urban heritage and urban identity in developing tourism, supporting the local and national economy, and using historical evidence represented in the heritage buildings in the city to be ready to be used as a place to display the history of the city of Madaba during the heritage period.

And he added that the maintenance and restoration of one of the heritage houses in this hill has been completed, as well as the restoration and maintenance work of a number of archaeological monuments in this part, and the beautification of the external walls, which are shared with the neighboring residents, to remove the distortions that surround the site.

Al-Hawari confirmed that the Department of Antiquities is carrying out rehabilitation work for the site and creating internal tourist paths, in addition to setting up identification and explanatory boards for the archaeological elements inside the site, and developing tourism services to receive tourists to introduce the history of the city of Madaba.

For his part, Wael Al-Janini, Director of Madaba Tourism, confirmed that the archaeological site of Tell Madaba occupies a distinguished position on the map of historical and religious sites in the governorate of Madaba, which tells the history of the city through the ages. After the completion of the rehabilitation work, it will be a great addition to the Madaba route and contribute to increasing the number of visitors to the governorate.

He added that the site of Tell Madaba in the city center and its historical and religious sites is a comprehensive museum of human civilizations, noting that the Ministry of Tourism is awaiting the completion of the rehabilitation work of the site by the Department of Public Antiquities to add it to the Madaba tourist track to carry out the process of promoting and marketing the site as one of the treasures of Madaba Governorate.

It is noteworthy that the Madaba governorate is rich in archaeological and historical sites, as it contains the oldest site in which religious rituals were held, which is the site of Al-Mreighat, and the oldest walled city, which is Khirbet Iskandar in the Al-Wala area of Theban Brigade, which dates back to the Bronze Age, and the oldest inscription, which is the inscription of the Obelisk of Mesha in Theban, and the floors. The mosaics that were painted with skill and art by the artists of Madaba through the ages, and the tallest tower in Madaba, which is located in the archaeological site of Umm al-Rasas.

Madaba is also distinguished by its religious heritage and the stories of the prophets and companions, starting with the story of Moses in Mount Nebo, the story of the Prophet Yahya "Yougna the Baptist" in Makawer, the story of the meeting of Muhammad, peace be upon him, in Umm al-Rasas, with the monk Buhaira, and the passage of the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn al-Khattab, from the town of al-Khattabiya in Madaba on his way to Jerusalem, and the shrine of Abu Dhar Al-Ghafari in Al-Sahila in Theban Brigade.


Petra