About Madaba

For a taste of ancient culture in Jordan, Madaba budget travel offers a glimpse into the tiny city of Madaba, which is home to the ancient Mosaic Map of the Holy Land among other fascinating relics and ruins.

Airports

Madaba airports include the following:
•Queen Alia International Airport, Amman
•Marka International Airport - East Amman

Conservation

As a highly important religious site and one of archaeological importance, Madaba conservation is essential to maintain the ruins in their current protected state. Some of the Iron Age ruins date back many thousands of years, while the Madaba Map is one of the most ancient slices of history in Jordan.

Culture

Madaba culture includes the following aspects:
•Thermal springs
•History and religion plays a key role in ancient and modern Madaba culture
•Local cuisine is central to culture in towns close to Mount Nebo and shows diverse influences
•Traditional culture will be evident on the trip to Mount Nebo

Health

Madaba health info for travellers includes the following:
•The most common health risk is travellers tummy from rich foods or tap water
•Health facilities are advanced in the major cities, but not in rural areas
•Pack a basic first aid kit with medication for upset stomachs, nausea and other minor ailments
•Check with your doctor about any health risks or disease outbreaks that may have occurred recently before leaving for your trip

Languages

Madaba languages include the following:
•Modern Standard Arabic
•Jordanian Levantine
•English
•French
•Spanish
•Armenian
•Circassian
•Chechen
•Turkish
•Serbo-Croatian
•Greek
•Bosnian

Malaria

While malaria in Madaba is not a risk, there may be a malaria risk within Asia in general. Travellers who are visiting malaria-risk countries before or after travelling to Madaba should consider malaria medication.

Money

Madaba money and banking info is as follows:
•There are no banks or facilities in Madaba itself, but there are facilities in nearby towns and cities
•Most establishments accept payment in US dollars
•Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops
•Traveller's cheques are not widely accepted and may not be exchanged even in banks
•Cash machines are found in most supermarkets, banks and other commercial buildings

People

Madaba people include the following ethnic groups:
•Jordanians
•Circassians
•Chechens
•Armenians
•Turks
•Gypsies
•Iraqis
•Palestinians
•Lebanese
•Syrians
•Egyptians
•Kurds

Phrase

Madaba local phrases include the following:
•Hello: Marhaba
•Good morning: S-bahh Al-khair
•Good evening: Masa Al-khair
•Please: Men-fadllaak (m)
•Please: Men-fadllake (f)
•How much: Gha-daish?

Plants

Madaba plants include palms and limited pines and other trees, owing to the arid exposed environment, however the magnificent views from nearby Mount Nebo allow the visitor to look out over the fertile Jordan Valley and the surrounding arid regions, highlighting the contrast in areas with water supply and those without.

Religion

Madaba religion includes the following:
•Sunni Muslim 92%
•Christian 7%
•No religion 1%

Safety Tips

Madaba safety tips include the following:
•There is a high risk of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, including Madaba
•Avoid large crowds and demonstrations that may become violent in the surrounding cities and towns
•The situation in Iraq has had an impact on local opinion, as has the violence between the neighbouring Israelis and Palestinians
•Crime is not a huge issue, however petty crime such as bag snatching may occur
•Keep valuables safe and out of sight, especially in the busier cities and during excursions

Transport

Madaba local transport includes the following options:
•Foot
•Bus
•Taxi
•Car

Travel Books

Madaba travel books include the following:
•Travels in Syria and the Holy Land by Johan Lewis Burckhardt
•Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler
•A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani

What To Buy

What to buy for holidays in Madaba:
•Spare batteries for torches and camera
•Guide books and Arabic phrase books
•Thick socks for hiking boots
•First aid kit for travel purposes
•Large refillable water bottle, or plenty of bottled water

What To Pack

What to pack for safari in Madaba:
•Sunscreen, sunhat and sunglasses
•Headscarves for women, plus long skirts and t-shirts that cover shoulders
•Comfortable walking shoes plus sandals
•Camera with spare batteries and memory card/film
•Guide book and phrase book
•Basic first aid kit

When To Go

The best time to visit Madaba:
•The best time to visit climate-wise is in Spring (March-May) and Autumn (September-November)
•April offers warm temperatures and wildflowers are in bloom during this month
•Winter (December-February) can be extremely cold, with snow in some parts
•Summer (June-August) can be unbearably hot, with temperatures near the desert hitting extreme levels