We explain more in our guide to Madaba about the heritage of vast, intricate mosaics in this area, and you can see several in the city within their original setting. The Mount Nebo church offers this, but goes a step further with more gallery-level lighting and displays so you can really appreciate the skill, colour, and craft in the tiles.
Some are fragments, some are whole, and some are somewhere in between, but the most most remarkable is the fully intact Diakonikon mosaic. Created around the 6th century AD, it was only rediscovered in the 1970s underneath another mosaic floor when the Franciscans were doing redevelopment work.
With vibrant colours, it depicts several scenes with hunters, shepherds, and an ostrich, lions, a zebra, and a giraffe. In a nice quirk, the far less detailed mosaic that it was hidden under for centuries – but also the reason why it was so wonderfully preserved – is now displayed on the wall above it.
Be sure to allow enough time to properly appreciate them.
Although it can feel like the mosaics are the main attraction inside, remember that the church is an active place of worship and prayer.
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