Madaba , Mount Nebo , Mukawir, Hammamat Ma'in and Umm Ar-Rasas





Mukawir

Within an hour’s drive from Madaba along the picturesque King’s Highway, is Mukawir. Mukawir is the hilltop stronghold of Herod the Great. Upon Herod’s death, his son, Herod Antipas, inherited the fortress and it is from here that he ordered John the Baptist to be beheaded after Salome’s fateful dance.
Mount Nebo

Hammamat Ma'in
Southwest of Madaba is Hammamat Ma’in, the thermal mineral springs that for centuries have attracted people to come and immerse themselves in the sites’ warm therapeutic waters. There is an excellent 5-star hotel here, which offers indoor and natural outdoor hot pools, a swimming pool and spa facilities.
Umm Ar-Rasas
To the east of Madaba is Umm Ar-Rasas, a very ancient site that is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. The rectangular walled city is mostly in ruins but does still include several buildings, as well as four churches and some beautiful stone arches. The main attraction is outside the city walls within the Church of St. Stephen, which contains a very large, perfectly preserved mosaic floor laid down in 718 AD. It portrays fifteen major cities of the Holy Land from both east and west of the River Jordan. This magnificent mosaic is second only to Madaba’s world famous mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.