| Inside the ancient
Cardo in Jerusalem’s Old City, an intricate mosaic
is on display. This mosaic, called the Madaba Map, depicts
Jerusalem during the Byzantine period, its design dating
back to approximately the middle of the sixth century
AD. What visitors can observe in the cardo today is
a replica of a much larger map that was discovered in
the late 19th century in the Jordanian town of Madaba.
The map was uncovered during renovations of St. George’s
Church, built on the remains of a Byzantine church,
in Madaba Jordan. At first the mosaic went unnoticed
and some claim that portions were destroyed, but with
time its significance was understood. The map depicts
an area, referred to as “biblical lands,”
during the Byzantine era. Interestingly, the most
central and emphasized area of the map is Jerusalem.
The map is unique because it constitutes the oldest
pictorial depiction of Jerusalem, and the surrounding
lands.
The Madaba map’s depiction of Jerusalem includes
the central locales in the city during the Byzantine
era. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is depicted
as well as the city’s six gates (the seventh
gate was added in 1890). And situated prominently
in the center of the image is the Cardo Maximus, further
proving that it was the central thoroughfare of Jerusalem
during the Byzantine era. The image also depicts a
second, less central Cardo.
The original map in St. George’s Church, includes
2 million pieces of colored stone and Greek writing
describing certain places, and is a wonderful tool
for historians and archeologists. Today, Madaba is
known as the “city of mosaics” because
many more mosaics were discovered in the town, but
the Madaba map stands out amongst the mosaics. The
map is particularly important to the study of Jerusalem,
as it indicates its geography during the Byzantine
era. Additionally, the centrality of Jerusalem in
the overall mosaic exemplifies the city’s importance
throughout history.
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