From the city of mosaics. About 30 miles southwest from Amman is Madaba, home to one of the world’s most famous mosaics, the Madaba Map. Today’s first stop was the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, near the center of town. Once inside the church, we immediately found what we were looking for. Laid into the floor was a sprawling mosaic map. As I walked closer, I began making out details: Egypt, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, and the city gates of old Jerusalem.

The Madaba Map was made during the 6th century CE, making it the oldest known geographic floor mosaic in the world. The map itself tells us a lot about the region as it was 1,500 years ago. I find it pretty remarkable that 6th century craftsmen were able to construct such a relatively accurate and ornate depiction of the region. About 1/3 of the map has been damaged by earthquakes and foot traffic. However, what remains is still impressive.

After we’d thoroughly explored the map, we moved on to our second destination -- the Madaba Art and Handicraft Center. Ilana got a lesson in mosaic construction. I was surprised to learn that each color in a mosaic comes from a specific kind of rock. For example, rocks rich in iron oxide can have either a deep red or intense yellow color. Quartz is milky white and slightly transparent. And, rocks rich in the element manganese tend to have a pink tone.

At the end of the day, I was left thinking about how something functional can also be a piece of art.

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