Madaba: Madaba Map

This map was found to be part of the mosaic floor of a 6th century CE church in Madaba, Jordan (east of the Dead Sea), and includes this map of Byzantine Jerusalem. A broad, column-lined street runs from the north gate south through the center of the city (called a cardo, it is a common feature of Graeco-Roman cities). At the northern end of this street (the left of the picture) there is a monumental column in a public plaza. It is interesting that the modern Arab name for the Damascus Gate is Bab el-'Amud ("Gate of the Column"). At the center of the map you can see the church of the Holy Sepulchre with its yellowish dome. The Inscription at the top left of the map reads 'The Holy City of Jerusalem' (in Greek).