Amman to Madaba and Shobak Castle: Private day trip

Dating back to the Bronze Age, Madaba is mentioned in the Bible as a Moabite border city. From the 2nd through 7th centuries, it was an important stop on the King’s Highway trade route but was destroyed by an earthquake in 746 and abandoned. In 1880 a Christian community from Karak resettled the site, and uncovered numerous mosaics during their excavations of the city. The most famous of which is a 6th century map of the Holy Land on the floor of a Byzantine cathedral, which is now preserved within the confines of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. Comprised of millions of pieces of colored stone, it’s the earliest record of Byzantine Jerusalem. There hundreds of other mosaics scattered throughout the city, with some exceptional examples being found in the Church of the Virgin and the Apostles, and the several other Byzantine churches in Madaba’s extensive Archaeological Park and Museum.

Built in 1115 by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem, Shobak Castle was the first of many fortifications erected beyond the Jordan River to guard the road from Egypt to Damascus. Having resisted a number of attacks, it finally fell to Saladin's troops in 1189 after a two-year siege that saw the defenders selling off their family members for food. Today, the castle experience begins when visitors first glimpse its imposing silhouette from a distance. Within the castle complex you’ll find original Crusader elements alongside Mamluk additions and modern restorations, such as a church with a Crusader cross or keep with Quaranic inscriptions. In the catacombs of one church, you can find Islamic tablets, Christian carvings, rocks used for catapults, and what is allegedly Saladin's throne. While plans to hold large-scale reenactments on site haven’t yet been realized, the staff dress as Saladin's soldiers and are happy to pose for pictures.